Nederland Fire's Mandi Papich has been doing volunteer rescue work for five years, and she said something that nails why we're obsessed with the fundamentals:⁠ ⁠ "When a call does come in, it's all hands on deck. I make sure I'm well fed, well rested, and hydrated because our bodies need to be prepared for that."⁠ ⁠ Think about that for a second. When someone's life is literally hanging in the balance, what does she prioritize? Not some exotic supplement or biohack. The basics.⁠ ⁠ You can't fake preparation. Your nervous system, your muscle function, your decision-making under pressure... all of it depends on whether you've done the unglamorous work of taking care of the fundamentals.⁠ ⁠ Mandi's pulling people out of avalanche terrain on 20-hour missions. Most of us don't face stakes that high. But the principle is the same whether you're saving lives or just trying to show up for your family after a tough day at work.⁠ ⁠ "Being fit and hydrated really makes the success of a mission." She learned this through experience, not theory. You feel the difference when you get it right.