The first year I did it, I just kept hearing it was an ALL WOMEN'S 5K. I thought, what the heck, I'll go and learn. I gathered as many of my female clients and other gym goers together to do it. I was blown away that first year. There were 1,000 plus women there and the race was honestly to celebrate women and their health. I stayed for the ceremony after the race and found out there was a woman 94 years old who walked it. I was taken back by the age groups and women from all walks of life that participated. Moms, Grandmas, Aunts, Sisters, friends, daughters, women's cross country or track teams, girl scouts, and various others! I would say nearly 60-70% walk the race AND that's completely cool! It's women coming together to celebrate women.
So after that first year under my belt, I vowed to get as MANY of my clients and gym friends to do it the following year. It always varies and we have a team of anywhere from 15-25 women from Salina go and do it. So that second year when I was rounding up women to be on the team, I nearly told one of my clients she would do this 5K. She had never done one before. And once she committed and did it, SHE LOVED it. The next year my client was diagnosed with cancer and we actually got team shirts with her name on it. Then, there was this year. This year my dearest client who has been battling this cancer and wasn't given long, has fought one crazy fight. She CONTINUES to fight like no other person I have ever met before. So even though her cancer isn't in remission, I messaged her daughter to ask if they would be interested in the walk or even allowing us to push her in a wheelchair for the walk. Well this strong client/friend of mine refused the wheelchair, she WAS determined to walk that whole 5K....
And.., She did! I ran the 5K on Saturday and waited at the finish line for her and her daughter to cross. I'm not a huge emotional person, but when she cross that FINISH LINE and fell into my arms I absolutely lost it. No words would even come out of my mouth, We hugged and cried for a while and when she walked over to her husband, I turned around to see the rest of my clients and friends standing just a few feet away in tears as well.
So here's the lesson. Here's something that goes BEYOND just the scale.
All too often we sit on our tails thinking about everything we CAN'T do.
I can't lift weights bc....
I can't do cardio bc...
I can't wake up early bc...
I can't workout after work bc...
I can't log my food bc...
I can't eat right bc...
THE EXCUSES go on and on... and reality is, many times it's not until we realize what we're fighting for do we actually start fighting.
So many times it's not until someone hits absolute rock bottom when they decide they need to make a change.
I'll use myself as an example... I was nearly 230 pounds at 21 years old and 5'4 1/2". My hair was falling out. I was pre-diabetic. I was depressed. I wanted to sleep my life away. I spent a lot of time in my bed crying... I WAS A HOT MESS.
What changed? I was tired of being pathetic. I remember just a few days ago a good friend of mine posted on Instagram, "The mirror never lies so if you look in the mirror and don't like what you see, don't make an excuse. FIX IT."
Could it be anymore real than that? Most of us have our health and we take it for granted. The more individuals I have the opportunity to work with, the more I see shitty life cards dealt to people. With health problems, diseases, and disorders... yet these individuals don't make any excuses. They ARE my hardest working clients because they KNOW WHY and WHAT they're working for.
May you see your health is greater than just the number on the scale. May you know your worth.
Alison
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