When Life leads to the unexpected
I’ve been part of an athletic community since I was fourteen. In high school, I was a swimmer, a passion that might have bordered on obsession. With each passing season, I added more training to my plate in pursuit of one goal: competing for a Division I program.
When my swimming career ended after college, it only took three months before I found myself back in the pool, this time with triathletes. I thought that would be my next venture.
But here’s the thing: if you’re terrified of being hit by a car while riding a bike, triathlons are probably not the sport for you. It didn’t take long for me to realize that truth.
So, back to the pool I went. And this is where the story gets good, because I discovered how much I loved coaching. Swimming took me all over the U.S. and even to the Caribbean. I made lifelong friends and worked with incredible athletes.
Still, I wanted something just for me. That’s when I found CrossFit. It gave me everything I loved about swimming: the push of individual competition and the joy of cheering others on. I was hooked for nearly eight years, both as a member and a coach.
Then life shifted. We moved closer to my parents, I started a demanding corporate job, and COVID hit, all in two months. At first, I followed along with outdoor workouts from my old gym, but eventually exhaustion won out. On top of that, we were trying to get pregnant, and I didn’t want to put my body under more stress than it already was.
After my son, Liam, was born, I worked with a phenomenal pelvic floor physical therapist, Dr. Kaylee Simmerman, who helped me get strong enough to return to the gym. For nearly two years, I managed one or two CrossFit sessions a week, a rhythm that worked while balancing a demanding job and motherhood.
I always thought that when I finally left my corporate role, I’d go back to CrossFit full-time. But something unexpected happened.
I started walking. At first, it was just an attempt to get in my steps. The treadmill in my basement was mind-numbing, so one day I tried a local path after dropping Liam off with my mom.
And something shifted.
For someone who spent most of her life in indoor workouts, highly chlorinated or highly organized, this was new. But the outdoors gave me more clarity and joy than I ever expected. I realized last week that I actually miss being outside on the days I go to the gym, instead of the other way around.
Now, I’ve set a new goal: training for the annual Turkey Trot, a Thanksgiving 5K my family has dipped in and out of for more than 30 years.
I asked my mom if she’d want to run it with me. She admitted she hadn’t really thought about it. Especially after being hospitalized around the time of last year’s race. I told her I wanted to do it with her, just the two of us. The boys could cheer us on with coffee and bagels while we enjoyed the run together.
I never imagined this would be my path. Never thought I’d choose a run over a barbell. Yet here I am.
Life has a way of surprising us, throwing curveballs that turn out to be gifts. When we allow the universe to take the lead, and we’re willing to listen, we often end up exactly where we’re meant to be.
