I am very humbled to be asked to provide the member spotlight this month, no less on the eve of the Summer Olympics in Rio kicking off this month. I grew up in Rumford and as a young child was a pretty competitive swimmer and golfer from nearby Wannamoisett. Although never an Olympic hopeful, I did win my share of state and regional competitions over the years and through my college days was in solid physical shape. I burned so many calories in athletics that I never had to worry about calorie intake or being active, it was pretty much part of what I did every day of my life.
When college ended and I started a family and a career in banking, the daily routine of being active by either walking or swimming many miles a week obviously was curtailed and the discipline for allowing time for physical exercise became less important. Sitting at a desk five days a week and chasing 3 sons around for their various activities really didn't give me a lot of time to focus on staying in shape. In addition, I was not exactly tuned in with the importance of managing my calorie intake and the importance of managing my diet and the five food groups.
So from my early 20s to late 40s my appearance obviously changed and I gained about 50 pounds from my wedding day weight, added 4 inches to my waist and all my metabolic numbers skyrocketed in the wrong direction. In early 2014 I started taking my health more seriously and attended some group classes using mostly body weight and light bells. From that point I saw a friend picking up her kids at our high school (Jeanne Powers) and she suggested I try 212 in Rumford. I live 1/2 mile away and never even realized the place existed!
I joined 212 in October '14 and was immediately taken in by the passion of the staff and their sincere interest in helping each and every member improve every day, every class. I love the early morning hours, I love the music, I love watching other members just totally commit to improving their performance and I love what this daily routine has done for me personally. My weight is back down to a more manageable level, I watch my diet more closely and all my metabolic risk factors have improved dramatically over the last 2 years. I have so many people to thank, particularly Kerry and all the staff for making it a joy to come in and work out every day and help me always feel better on the way out than I do when I walk in!
Not sure what the future holds but very much looking forward to 212 being a big part of keeping me on the right path to better health and longevity of life. As you can see from the photo, I have a lot to be thankful for and to live for in the years to come.
