In four words or less….
Wife. Mother. Fitness Junkie
Thats me!
But if you really want all the details….
I haven’t always been in great shape or frequented the gym like I do now, but as far back as I can remember I’ve always had an interest in working out. Growing up my idols were always athletes like Dot Richardson and Lisa Leslie. I remember buying creatine in high school in hopes of getting stronger. Typical sixteen year-old girl purchase right?
I played first base for the Central College softball team. I can’t say enough about my wonderful experience on the softball team. As cliche as it sounds, I made life- long friends and priceless memories, and not to mention winning the National Title for DIII softball in 2003.
I then moved back to Iowa, got engaged to my husband, John and like most brides decided I was going to lose weight and get back into shape for the wedding! I got a wonderful trainer who recommended the “Body for Life” cookbook and John and I followed it to a “T.” We both lost weight actually. I was the lowest I had been in my adult life but still not where I wanted to be. I was happy, but I could do better.
Slowly over the next few years I continued to exercise and make healthy choices. I reached new lows with my weight and felt great. I was spinning, kickboxing and body pumping my way skinny…and then I got pregnant. Of course I was thrilled. This was exactly what John and I had planned. Get married, have a baby, move to a small town and live happily ever after. It sounded great on paper! We moved a smaller town mid-pregnancy. With the move meant a longer commute, stop at the gas station for breakfast and no gym membership. I packed on the weight quickly, 50 plus pounds. I didn’t care though, I was going to have a baby!
Fast forward to today and I’ve since had another baby in May 2012, done a few sprint triathlons, joined a bicycling race team, became a group fitness instructor, lost the 50 pounds I gained during my first pregnancy and 15 most pounds to boot.
I’ve joined an amazing local powerlifting club where I can train next to some of the strongest men and women in the state and even the country. Powerlifting has given me the confidence I needed and even though I’m in my thirties I feel faster, stronger, and more powerful today then I did when I was college athlete.
