I was born at a Salvation Army Hospital in St. Louis Missouri, adopted at birth, three and half years in Papua New Guinea with a missionary family. That family terminated the adoption (yes that is the legal description), foster care then, adopted again a couple of months shy of my 4th birthday and given a new name. My family is a multi-ethnic family: Caucasian parents, Caucasian sister, two Korean biological sisters, and seven years later a bi-racial brother making two of us with Caucasian mothers and Black, ethnicities unknown, fathers. My experience, perspective, understanding and interpretation of life has been continues to be filtered through the lenses of being dropped off the roads less traveled.
I spent fourteen years in Minnesota and was fortunate to be a kid of the 70’s and 80’s with unscripted time to be outdoors in every Season. We had access to parks, playgrounds, ice rinks, hills to sled on and cul-de-sac’s to play kick the can and capture the flag in. I learned to take questionable risks, problem solve and generally cooperate with kids of different ages and issues without adults managing and moderating our every move. I also contended with the not always subtle biases of being a passing minority with Asian sisters and a brown younger brother. My family stood out. Many times I was proud. many times I wanted to just fit in. For many years I played soccer, hockey, baseball until knee problems brought a hiatus to those outlets. Did a lot of biking and joined the swim team as a freshman in high school. I was in the slow lanes when I first started and by sophomore year had worked towards being a serious competitor for my remaining years of high school.
I went to a college here in Rhode Island for a year. The Stock Market crashed in 1987 ending the luxury of being a full time student. I spent the next eleven years working full time, going to school at night and eventually graduated. Along the way, I worked in boatbuilding industry, as a sailmaker, weekend catering jobs, a couple of years as a psychiatric research assistant, eventually entered the design world post September 11, 2001 designing closets. In 2005 went solo in my own business that currently includeds graphic design work, space planning and drawing 3D CAD models for other designers and architects. In all of those years I swam, road and mountain biked. In 1996 I got sober, married, divorced re-married. Life, business, kids, the general demands of life took over. Intentional activity came to an end for nearly two decades.
I went back to the pool nearly four years ago. At the time, my right shoulder injured during a family Thanksgiving football game a couple of years earlier had me fearing a need for surgery. I was pre diabetic and dealing with a frightening side effect of a statin that caused my left shoulder, bicep, tricep and side of my neck feeling weak. I made swimming a part of my routine and started making better dietary choices. As I found myself getting healthier, I knew I need to add weight bearing exercise. I had been to gyms before, but never felt comfortable with the atmospheres. Nearly two years ago while chatting with a friend about my discomfort with gyms, she suggested 212. I faced my uneasiness and reached out to Kerry. When we met, I was certain I was looking at knee surgery within the next 10 to 15 years and knew I wanted to get stronger via less traditional means like kettlebells. Kerry encouraged me, welcomed and pushed me and here I remain. I am no longer certain of that potential surgery if it happens at all.
I am grateful for the fitness environment of 212. Old school expressions, like ‘no pain, no gain’ and ‘when the going gets tough get going’ are blended into the fuel that motivates me to persist in making the effort to exercise the body and mind. The choices and actions are essential to my passage through all of the other hours of the day. I keep moving, I keep showing up, and remain appreciative of and motivated by the other 212 members, trainers and staff who keep doing the same. One day at a time, one day after another.