2025-W41 — A Fusion Reactor, a Teenager’s Curiosity, and the Moment Our Family Challenge Was Born

Wellness by Michael Tomasini

What happened this week

From October 10–12, we spent a weekend in Greifswald because my oldest son chose a complex school project: nuclear fusion. Not the “cool sci-fi” version—real fusion, real engineering, real people working on problems that take decades to solve.

He didn’t just research it. He pushed far enough to earn an interview with a nuclear scientist connected to the research environment, and we made it a family trip. We also attended an open house event where we could see exhibits and learn more about the stellarator approach to fusion.

The travel + wellness thread

This wasn’t a fitness-focused trip—but it still fit perfectly into what I’m building with Wellness by Michael Tomasini: a life where curiosity, challenge, and discipline don’t live in separate boxes.

We were out of our normal rhythm, but it was the good kind of disruption—the kind that makes you reflect. Seeing long-term scientific work up close has a strange effect: it makes short-term excuses feel smaller.

The moment that mattered

Watching my son navigate something this ambitious did something to my own mindset. It wasn’t just pride—it was a nudge.

On the drive back, our family started talking about commitment: doing hard things on purpose, not because they look good online, but because they force growth. That’s when the “family challenge” idea stopped being vague and became a real decision.

What it changed for me

This weekend helped lock in the framework I’d been circling around:

• Fasted Marathon Challenge: build a repeatable system that works even with business travel and real life constraints.
• Six-Pack Challenge: a measurable body-composition goal built on consistency, strength, and honesty (not gimmicks).
• Family Challenge: the most important one—something we share together, so health becomes culture, not just individual effort.

Greifswald didn’t “start” all of this, but it made it official. It was the weekend we decided to call our shots publicly and follow through with integrity.

What I learned

Wellness isn’t only food and workouts. It’s values. It’s identity. It’s the decision to build a life where curiosity and consistency can coexist.

Science teaches patience. Training teaches patience. Parenting teaches patience. This weekend reminded me that the best projects—reactors, races, and families—are built the same way: one honest step at a time.

Next week’s tiny focus

Write down your three challenges in one sentence each—and keep them visible somewhere you’ll actually see them (notes app, whiteboard, or a sticky note on your desk).