Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Saikou Toure of Suwanee

Saikou Toure shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Saikou, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Playing Basketball; a very competitive sport for a Semi-Professional team of Atlanta; one of the most competition driven cities of the United States; I knew working hard and pushing through failure both had to be routine.

I moved to Atlanta early 2023 with hopes of playing the sport.

In the Spring of 2024; I began training under Dante of Inferno Fitness to improve my strength, explosiveness and most important; Basketball skills.

September 2024, I worked out with the Long Island Nets of New York; a G-League Basketball team. Though I impressed the coaches; I unfortunately did not make the roster.

I flew back to Atlanta with hopes of working out for any another team; but got sick and missed an important tryout. Those events were unfortunate; but motivated me even more as my trainer reached out to another team.

A workout was set up a in May and I continued with strength training under Inferno Fitness; but another disheartening event occurred as that team no longer wanted to move forward my workout.

Staying persistent; Dante constantly reached out to other teams for tryouts and successfully set up a workout.

The hard work and consistency paid off as I made the roster of Team Express; a Semi-Professional Basketball organization of Atlanta.

Not only that; but I made top performer of a game which was my breakout moment. From there; I knew Basketball was my sport.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I was born in Guinea of Africa and resided with my Mother, Father and four siblings.

Growing up in the lower class; I had to work hard while attending school from kindergarten until graduating from college as Finance was my passion.

In terms of sports; Basketball wasn’t as big as it is now in my country; so I played Soccer to stay active and I had a more natural love for it.

My teachers felt I had great potential in Basketball because I was always taller than everyone else and that motivated me to begin playing it in High School.

Their encouragement helped me also believe in my skill and from there I completely committing to the sport of Basketball.

I am currently working out with a Semi Professional Basketball team of Atlanta and I hope to become a starting player for the coming season.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Trust……

An overused term; but it always holds weight in every scenario. No matter what phase you are in with a person or organization; building back can be almost impossible if trust is broken.

Depending the level that is broken on, at times; restoration can be achieved if both parties talk about what caused it, why/how it happened and what routes will be taken to prevent it again.

There are many other elements that break bonds; but it all circles to the same thing……trust.

Practicing good habits can lessen the chances of trust breaking and even if it occurs; it may be something than can be easily fixed.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I flew into the United States with the goal of playing the sport I love.

Unfortunately; accidents happen and most people give up; but I was raised to push through even harder. I suffered from a cycle crash shortly after arriving into the U.S.

Luckily, the injury only affected my leg and I was even more determined to stay in shape. My therapy was a six month process; but it I worked out even harder as the injury was a motivator for me.

The accident almost made me quit the game of Basketball; but injuries are made to strengthen and never stop you.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
Fads fade and foundational shifts last…….

Fads are like that flash in a pan.

They are eye catching and fast but disappear quickly with low chance of reappearing.

Unlike fads; Foundational shifts are well developed, have exit plans and are much more consistent.

In terms of Basketball; the player who shoots the same shot 1000 times will be better than the one who shoots 1000 different types of shots only once.

It may get boring; the 1st player is building that real foundation shift while the other player; while exciting like a flash in a pan, ultimately is just a fad.

NBA championship teams like the Celtics, Spurs and Lakers developed their dynasty history through foundation and never fads, which at the end of the day; makes them some of the most legendary organizations in the NBA.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
My upbringing taught me how to be consistent and patient in each goal that I pursue.

Basketball is a very competitive sport where if I am not committed then the next guy will take my place. I have had Inferno Fitness as my Representative and the owner; Dante, has complimented my persistency and willingness to keep going despite a few setbacks.

From missing key workouts to playing on a team that took my potential for granted; nothing stopped me from staying consistent as I was offered a chance to play for another team recently and already feel the strong bond of a Basketball team.

Athletes are normally quit if the results do not show immediately; I call it “one and done”. Staying under Inferno Fitness showed that I believed in the company’s potential and looked to take the next step under them.

My consistency helps me separate from other athletes; staying consistent is a trait lacking in today’s age of Basketball.

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• Website: https://infernofitnessboxing.com/
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Image Credits
In the Mix Media LLC

Inferno Fitness Training