The CEO of Affinity started doing Ironmans in his 40s. Here are 3 ways fitness ties into his career success.

For a triathlete with a rigorous training schedule, Ken Fine's introduction to fitness was a little more happenstance.

He later discovered triathlons in his early 40s, when he first learned to swim in his community pool. Spending time with triathletes encouraged him to sign up for his first; he's now done about 40 triathlons of varying lengths, including 140.6-mile Ironman races.

When he first transitioned from running to triathlons (which involve running, biking, and swimming) in 2012, he was an investor. Because "triathlons are longer, more complex and more challenging to execute well," he said, training strengthened his growth mindset. Over the years, he held CEO positions at Symphony Commerce, Heap, and, since 2024, Affinity.

"The characteristics that are required and behaviors to be successful in the athletic portion of my life are very similar to the behaviors and skills you need to be successful as an executive," he said.

Cardiovascular workouts like running, biking, and swimming are linked to increased focus, improved mood, better sleep, lower stress, and reduced chances of cognitive decline as you age — all of which can boost work performance. Plenty of successful business leaders also boast intensive exercise routines, from hours-long bike rides to rucking workouts.

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"When I was in my 20s, I worked till 2 a.m., 3 a.m. in the morning, a lot of what you would probably call 'tech heroics,' all-nighters and working through all day on the weekends," he said. "I wasn't taking as good care of myself."

It all ties into his overall health, which leads to fewer disruptions in his day-to-day work responsibilities.

Every Sunday, Fine sits down and maps out his weekly workouts around his work, family, and other obligations. "I find if you don't have a plan, then the likelihood that you execute well is lower," he said. "You have to get very good at the process of developing a strategy" — a particularly crucial skill for business leaders.

Two months before the race, he created a plan where he slowly eased back into regular walking and short biking intervals. He also learned to deal with post-surgery inflammation that caused him back pain. A week before the race, he injured his Achilles tendon, took a full break from running, and flew across the world.

Training for triathlons especially taught him how to deal with sudden changes. Once, he participated in a half-Ironman during a hurricane — the race was never canceled because the organizers thought the rain would be short-lived. It never stopped.

He also said it's important to debrief every time, even when things go really well. "I've never had the perfect race yet," he said. "Even the races I would list as my very, very, best, I look at and I can identify things that I think I could have done better on that day."