410 Forum — News
Pat Deal Defines the Word 'Busy'
By Trent Gillespie
Eating 3,000 calories a day signifies two things. Either you’re overweight or you’re in really good shape. Spreading those 3,000 calories into five meals and burning nearly 1,000 of them in the gym won’t result in being overweight. It will, however, give you single-digit body fat percentage and a healthy heart.
A regular day for Pat Deal signifies one thing. Hard work. His hard work in the gym, in class, and on campus keeps him on the go. As a student leader for Campus Crusade for Christ at UNC, Deal is a prime example of how an ordinary student can help his campus in extraordinary way.
Starting at 6 a.m., Feb 26 in the UNC Campus Recreation Center, I followed Deal around for a day and gained a new appreciation for the word “busy.”
5:35 a.m.
No snoozing
Deal doesn’t use his snooze button, but why would he? He is 25 minutes away from the favorite part of his day.
“I like waking up in the morning. If I didn’t, I think the rest of my day would be awful,” Deal said.
His mornings are quick and to the point. First, get out of bed. Second, put on gym cloths. Third, eat a protein bar. Fourth, find his wallet and car keys. Fifth, drive to the gym.
6:03 a.m.
His favorite part of the day
The door to the Campus Recreation Center unlocks, and when inside, Deal begins to jog in place. He tells me he is “trying to get warm,” but secretly I think he’s excited to be in the gym again. He takes off his sweatshirt and pants, and the goose bumps on his legs and arms are evident from a few feet away. Today he’s lifting his legs. He begins his squat routine as the goose bumps quickly dissipate.
12:38 p.m.
Nine hundred calories in five minutes
Deal opens his plastic container to a healthy serving of chicken casserole. It’s the fifth time he’s eaten it this week. The second time today
. “He’s a garbage disposal. He’ll eat anything and everything,” said Andrew Fuller, a senior at UNC who lifts with Deal every morning.
Having to eat so often in order to maintain his bulky physique, Deal has learned to not be particular about his food. He evaluates the quality of the calories he takes in and ignores his desire for Little Debbie chocolate snacks.
“Soft food makes soft people,” Deal said.
7:50 p.m.
Deal greets 78 people in 10 minutes
The weekly Campus Crusade for Christ meeting is about to begin and Deal’s first job as student leader is to welcome the cluster of incoming students. Half of them already know him. The other half will soon.
While he may be able to bench-press more weight than an average 22-year-old, the weight room isn’t where Deal shines. It’s through his interaction with students that his genuine personality is exemplified.
8:33 p.m.
No more cheeseburgers and video games
The topic of tonight’s meeting is, “Things you don’t learn in class.” Halfway through the meeting Deal moves to the front of the room and starts into a seven-minute talk about being physically healthy. With hardly an ounce of fat on his body, what better example than Deal himself to speak about adopting a healthy lifestyle and doing away with the cheeseburgers and video games that plague the lives of many students?
From the sound of his alarm clock in the morning to the silence of him kneeling at his bed before bedtime, Deal hardly stops.
“Forty hours of work? Pat does that in three days,” said Jesse Feather, Campus Crusade for Christ intern at UNC.
Instead of starting his day at noon, Deal wakes up at 5:35 a.m. Rather than playing Xbox during his free time, he insists on devouring food. Instead of sitting in the crowd, he speaks to the crowd. These are just some of the things that make Deal, the real deal.
Pat Deal’s Thursday
• Gym at 6:03 a.m.
• Breakfast at 7:30 a.m.
• First class at 9:30 a.m.
• Lunch at 12:38 p.m.
• Class resumes at 2 p.m.
• Class gets out at 3:30 p.m.
• Third meal at 4:00 p.m.
• Fourth meal at 7:00 p.m.
• Deal gets to University Center at 7:32 p.m. for Campus Crusade for Christ weekly meeting.
• Freebording with friends at 9:20 p.m.
• Fifth meal at 11 p.m.
