I’ve been an athlete for a very long time. I grew up playing soccer and had dreams of being the next Mia Hamm, but unfortunately at a young age, I was trained by some pretty harsh coaches which degraded my confidence. I didn’t know who to turn to for guidance except my inner critic, and over the years I transformed from a confident woman to a shy, reserved, and insecure athlete. I found myself defining my self-worth by being better than others and out-performing my peers. When I fell short or found myself around more talented athletes, I became very self-deprecating.

When I took a break from soccer post-college, I turned to running and it was the best decision I ever made. I was fairly insecure when I became serious about running, but slowly over time, I realized how welcoming and positive the running community was. I hired a running coach, started listening to running podcasts, and researched everything I could about training, fueling, and sports psychology. Running became more than a sport for me to be good at, it became a way to enrich my life. I felt motivated to not only be a better runner, but to be a better person. Overcoming challenging training blocks, facing difficult races, and learning to believe in myself helped me develop a healthy relationship with sports. I became more in tune with my body, my mind, and my spirit. I found my fitness improving rapidly when I felt healthy, happy, fueled, and inspired.