I have been in the fitness industry for over 20 years. I have had the amazing opportunity to coach a variety of people from athletes for performance, to people whom have never stepped foot in a gym before for weight loss, to the elderly who just want to maintain mobility, strength and balance to name just a few. I have always had a passion for fitness since a young age starting in dance at the age of 3 for 14 years which then led into kickboxing/martial arts, to running various distances from 5ks to ultra marathons, competing in multiple adventure races, obstacle course races at an elite level and finally Mt. biking and road cycling. Recently these last few years I've expanded my knowledge as a personal trainer/ health coach and have been working alongside an amazing team of chiropractors and physical therapist helping assist a variety of patients with rehabilitative exercises. Helping others reach their goals, gain self confidence, and assist them in creating a healthier life for themselves through fitness has always been my passion and a source of happiness for me.
In 2015 I went through a major life change and fitness began to take on a whole new meaning in my life. After a 15 year relationship/12 year marriage I went through a painful divorce that turned my life upside down. I had been a stay at home mom to my 3 girls up to this point and trained clients on the side. I had walked away from pretty much everything I had known to keep the peace but now found myself at the age of 35 in the middle of a full on mid life/identity crisis trying to establish a career that up to this point had been a side job while also having to rediscover who I was outside of being a mom. After the divorce our eldest whom was an adult now chose to move out, our middle aged daughter chose to live with her dad, and our youngest we agreed to share custody with so now there was only 1 child left in the house that I saw every other week and every other week it was just me. Since I had turned 20 years old it had never been just me, needless to say not having them shook my world! Now I was not only dealing with the after effects of a divorce but also empty nest syndrome that I was not prepared for. The only life I had ever known since becoming an adult no longer existed. A life filled with beautiful chaos and purpose, running kids around, laughing, singing, cooking meals and packing lunches, family movie nights, sleepovers, etc. no longer existed as it had. Every other week I was faced with silence and hurt. I loved being a mom and having a family it was and is the best thing I have ever done, it was a huge part of my identity. I was faced with guilt and shame for making the hardest decision in my life and being the one who chose to walk away from an unhealthy marriage. Then slowly I began to notice the person I used to be started to change. The things I once loved seemed to no longer inspire or matter to me. I went from being a carefree and full of life to full of fear, sadness and anxiety. I felt lost. I used to wake up in the mornings full of energy ready to seize the day and now would wake up daily greeted with feelings of unexplainable panic and strong urges of just wishing I could run away as though that would somehow make the pain stop. My passion for fitness began to become harder to pursue as depression crept in. I went from cycling, running and strength training weekly to barely being able to convince myself to go for a walk as the weight of everything I was going through started to suck all the energy out of me. I was here but I felt like I was living someone else's life. I felt paralyzed by fear of the unknown and loss over all I had ever known. I had lived my whole adult life taking care of others and tending to their feelings and now for the first time ever was left with only mine. I felt like I was drowning in this black sea searching for light to find my way home. But no matter how hard I swam I couldn't get there. There were moments where I thought I could reach the light and I would get excited but then it would suck me back in and I would be filled with a wave of hopelessness yet again. I just needed to breathe so desperately but couldn't. I felt trapped and all alone in the darkness. Others would reach out their habds to me but they couldn't reach me I was to far down into the black sea filled with regret, guilt and shame. So I started a new journey with fitness. Instead of it being something that I felt passionately about that I used as my outlet, or to maintain my body weight goals, or for fun, it became my life preserver. Instead of pushing my body to it's limits I would just go for a walk or an easy run and try to be present. I would be running and would focus on my breath, on how the warmth of the sun felt on my skin, I would notice feelings creeping up of sadness and worry and instead of judging myself for them I would simply take notice and release them with my breath. Fitness became a way to create momentum to move forward. Instead of eating healthy for performance or dieting reasons I started to research how nutrition plays a role holistically. I focused on what foods help bring clarity to my mind and balance to my body. I learned about how eating mindfully can help ease stress and anxiety. I started waking up each day early to begin making time for meditation, affirmations and prayer. And through doing this daily I started to develop a new sense of normality. I was no longer living someone else's life, this was my life. It wasn't the I had known, but the beginning of a new life. A life that still felt the loss of so many things I had held so dear for so long but also at the same time a life now filled with hope of what was yet to come. After many years of feeling lost in the dark trying to swim towards the light, I was getting closer! I could feel the warmth of the sun on my skin as I swam towards it and as I broke through the surface the air filled my lungs, I could finally breathe!
That is why I have started Life Rehab Fitness. I cannot promise you I can heal you of depression, stress and or anxiety. But I can give you the tools needed, a life preserver, to hopefully pull you out of the dark sea towards the light. To give you something to lean on to regain your strength and allow you to breathe. A compass, to give you direction and a purpose so you don't feel lost. And a voice to remind you that you are not alone on this journey as you redefine your life. I want to help you find your light. I want to help you achieve your goals from the inside out. Life Rehab Fitness is for women from all walks of life who feel stuck in a cycle of negative thought patterns and or habits and want to break free. Life rehab Fitness is a holistic approach to wellness that helps facilitate in the renewal and healing of the mind, body and soul. This is done through integrating fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness into a program custome tailored just for you. If you feel like you are drowning you are not alone, this is your life preserver, I am here to help you gain the momentum and direction in your life you need to reach the light.
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