Let me start off by saying, THANK YOU! Thank you for popping in to my very first blog post! As an avid runner and woman, I am here to provide you with insight into my own health and wellness journey with the hopes that it will help to provide you with inspiration, motivation and plenty of tips and tricks on leading a healthy and active lifestyle.
First things first... THE WHY behind it all!
This photo on the left was taken at the finish of my first marathon, @runflyingpig. I was 19 years old and I was in an extremely low place. I watched all of my close friends head off to college to start their new life and I felt left behind, without goals or a plan. I was struggling with depression, anxiety, anorexia and extremely low self esteem. There were many days I didn’t want to deal anymore.
At the time I was obsessing over everything including working out. I was already running 12 miles to and from the gym, so I decided to sign up for the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon. I now realize that I thought it would prove something. While the motivation to run my first marathon may not have been all that healthy, it was the best thing I could have done for myself. I walked away from this finishline with self worth, confidence, and reassurance that I could do something more when I put my mind to it.
This was also a time in my life when I started to realize there may be more happening to me that just low days. With the help of people around me, I was able to come to the realization that I suffered from mental illness and medication was going to something I would have to lean into. Mental illness does not just go away when you cross a finish line. It took an army of support from family & friends, along with much self investment to get to a better spot and it is something I still deal with and will most likely deal with the rest of my life.
The left photo!
This photo was taken at the finish of one of the most fulfilling days of my life...This was at the finishline of the 2018 NYC marathon wearing my own designed running apparel! To say that running has changed my life, would be an understatement. Since the photo on the left, I graduated from college and moved to NYC where I lived out my dream of designing clothes for some of the most popular mainstream apparel brands for 8 years. I have run 5 more marathons (including an ulta 30 miler on my 30th birthday), qualified for the Boston Marathon (another LIFELONG DREAM!) and I have since moved back to my home city of Cincinnati where I am proud to say I am the founder of a startup, women’s, active apparel brand that celebrates & empowers women while giving back!
It is my true passion to help women build confidence through fashionable, performance-led active apparel, so that it excites her in her own health & wellness journey.
My moto: Behind every strong woman is a squad of other strong women who have her back!
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