“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”

Entrepreneur, CEO and dedicated philanthropist, Sheldon Wolitski embraced the struggle when he shifted his passion from collegiate hockey to people. Over two decades ago, Sheldon founded The Select Group, a recruiting business, only to be hit by the dot-com burst and face foreclosure. Using $12,000 in credit and pivoting to temporary placement, he expanded the company into a $200 million in revenue operation. Today, he’s committed to impacting lives through immersive experiences and creating lasting change on a personal level.

Sheldon created Aspen HPX and the Life By Design method due to the improvement he saw in his own evolution as a high performer. Driven by a struggle for excellence, he turned to pharmaceuticals, caffeine, and sheer will to get through 80-hour weeks. Sheldon flipped the paradigm on peak performance by getting clear on the “why” in his life and employing a team of mentors, coaches and experts to acquire the tools necessary for top physical and mental health. Instead of talking about changing habits, Sheldon found purpose and community to transform his goals into action.

Aspen HPX resulted as a high-performance, high-altitude and fully immersive summit to help others find more fulfillment and meaning. Sheldon is about giving back, both in Aspen HPX’s philanthropic mission and by offering a practical foundation for each participant. Sheldon’s pouring his heart and soul into the people part in order to hold space for the transformations to begin. 

“If we can take care of ourselves, we can bring better energy into the community and be a more positive influence to encourage others to refill their tank and show up as their whole selves.”

A consummate athlete, Katie Wolitski lived and breathed competition from a young age. She secured a soccer scholarship to North Carolina State, and continued her high-performance lifestyle through outdoor sports, marathons and bucket-list adventures. She even completed an Ironman triathlon one year after giving birth to her first child.

Balancing physical and mental health shifted her focus toward a more mindfulness-based approach after two battles with severe postpartum depression. After battling suicidal thoughts and crippling anxiety, she discovered the blanket answer of pharmaceuticals came with their own side effects that landed her in the hospital. She started to search for a mind-body solution. Katie discovered functional medicine, holistic health and techniques such as cold therapy gave her a practical approach to wellness and alignment with her authentic self. Katie shares her story in an effort to shine a light on the issue of anxiety and depression, and help others find support. Holistic health education aimed at Women’s and Men’s specific needs is an essential element of training in Aspen HPX thanks in no small part to Katie’s own bravery and exploration.  

Today, Katie connects mind, body and spirit in Colorado, teaching hot yoga at the Vimana House yoga center in the Roaring Fork Valley. She is an advocate for mending the gaping hole in access for women to understand our bodies, our choices, and natural solutions to protect our reproductive health.