Fort4Fitness Inspirational Stories
Since it's inception in 2008, the staff of Fort4Fitness has heard countless inspirational stories of runners and walkers who have made Fort4Fitness a part of a significant lifestyle change in an effort to become more healthy. We want to share some of those stories with you.
Are you one of those people who has an inspirational story? Fort4Fitness wants to hear from you. Throughout the year, leading up to our events in September, we will be featuring different individuals whose stories have inspired and encouraged us. We hope you will be encouraged by these stories as well.
If you have an inspirational story and would like to share it, please email us at inspire@Fort4Fitness.org and tell us your story. We may feature it on this page in the coming months leading up to the 3rd Annual Fort4Fitness Festival!
Heyde's Story:
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My story starts several years ago when I weighed my heaviest at 215 pounds at the age of 24 and decided that I needed to do something. My family has a history of obesity issues and I made the decision that I did not want that for me and my family. I watched it take my Grandmother's life right before my first daughter was born. I, also struggled some in my childhood with being overweight.
Anyway....I started working out in a gym and did quite well. I dropped 25 pounds over a couple years but I hit that dreaded plateau. Shortly thereafter I got pregnant with my second child and gained weight once again. I had to make that decision once again to get myself healthy and didn't want to hit the plateau and give up. After doing much contemplating I decided to join the 2nd Annual Fort4Fitness. I signed up to do the 1/2 marathon and was headed towards that goal but got sick right before the big race and ended up running the 4 mile run but was so proud of myself and what I was able to accomplish. It felt good, my body felt good and I was 'LOOKING GOOD'. I am still motivated and continue to work on my health and weight issues so I signed up for the 3rd annual Fort4Fitness and am going to run the 1/2 marathon this year. My oldest daughter, now 10, was so motivated by what her Mom had accomplished that she signed up for the kids' marathon and will be running with me to reach her 26.2 miles! Thank you Fort4Fitness for putting something like this together!! |
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Shari's Story: |
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I ran the 4 mile in 2009 for the first time. This is an incredible event. I was most impressed. My story is a simple one..I began running at the age of 52. It gives me such peace and accomplishment. I am not the fastest, but I finish in respectable times. This year, my goal is the Half marathon. I may have to walk part but I will cross! I have an IBD- Inflammatory Bowel Disease- known as Ulcerative Colitis ( UC). On the urge of my wonderful Doctor, I have taken fitness very seriously. After my diagnosis in 2002, I began Pilates classes. My instructor urged me to become certified. AND..that I did and more. Not only am I a licensed hairdresser but I am certified in Pilates, personal training and Zumba. Running gives me a goal- a push for my body- a peace for my mind. And, it keeps me healthy. I am inspired by all who finish the events. When I run in Sept. this year, I will have passed my 55th birthday. I am currently one of 10 semi finalists in the nation for an essay I wrote on succeeding in my life with an IBD. I hope to be a grand prize winner and walk with the Crohns and Colitis Foundation in Seattle in July this year! I am so proud that I CAN run...and I run for those who can't..and for me to succeed in my life. My motto is..Life is a marathon...NOT a sprint...so very true. Fort4Fitness is a terrific event and I urge ALL to get involved! THANKS!
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Steven's Story:
In late march of 2009 I had the privileges of experiencing a life altering change. Most of us have known someone with a severe illness such as cancer or heart disease. I fell victim to my own transgressions and played the never will happen to me game. Although I never had to experience cancer or heart disease I did reap the benefits of smoking. I quit smoking on Easter Sunday of 2009. For a couple of weeks I used the nicotine gum, but I knew that in order to actually kick the habit I had to quit the gum too. I didn't stop there. I had done some serious damage to my lungs. I had collapsed a portion of my right lung and grew some nodules. I was told from my lung doctor that I had a long road to recovery and it would be a few years before I would fully recover from the last 16 years of smoking. Turning on a oxygen machine at night was a ritual that my 2 year old son and I participated in nightly. I hated the fact that I had to sleep with tubes up my nose because I chose to smoke and I NEVER exercised. A lot of things ran through my mind, daily I questioned myself on what kind of example was I providing to my kids. What if I never lit the first smoke up. Was this how I was going to leave my footprint in life ...a statistic? Without a doubt I thought of death daily. Would it take me today or will I get to spend another day with the family? It was taking its toll on me mentally and I had to take charge or give up. I chose the hard road and decided that if I was going to die I was going out fighting. So I took advantage of our employee gym membership program and the family and I joined the YMCA. I began an uphill battle to recover the full capacity of my right lung, get off "The Machine" and lose some weight. In late March of 2010 I ran my first mile without stopping and I was sweating like a cold beer in the sun. With the inspiration that I received from a fellow co worker and new found friend Greg, who participated with me in my first 5k on May 8, 2010 "Running with the Knights" finishing in 28:09 in 34 place I knew that I wasn't done, I wanted more. Today I made the decision to register for the Fort For Fitness Half Marathon. Today's date is Friday June 18, 2010 it got hot today it was in the low 90s and I put in 9.3 miles at a pace of 9:13 minutes per mile. I was released from the doctor last month and Health Advantage came to the house and picked up there Oxygen machine just 3weeks prior. Oh yeah those pesky nodules they've subsided and are no longer a concern.
Through the mental and physical problems that I had experienced last year, overcoming my inner demon was the hardest task I completed. I have created my own mission or what I call my life statement that I keep posted as a constant reminder of where I have been what I have gone through and what I have to do to make my life better. I will share this with you for hopefully I can inspire someone like my friend had for me.
A dream to follow.....and it will be my completion in life... it will be my story and I will succeed in doing so.
Kristal's Story:
I have been thinking what the perfect words would be to say to you for how you have changed my life. What I have come up with is that there are no perfect words... I don't know if you really know how much having been chosen for this means to me. You literally saved my life. I know the path I was on... my dad died of a cancer that puts my risk of getting cancer very high... my mom is diabetic and has had stints put in... I was already considered obese and had high blood pressure. I know where my path was leading and it wasn't good. If I had not been choosen... if I had been one of those that you and Mary had put aside... I would be even bigger and still sitting on the couch overeating and making excuses for why it didn't matter any more.
You changed that. I want to be better now. I want to lose more of this weight that is holding me back...I want to be healthier. I want to have a fighting chance with all the negative genes that I already carry. I am so sad that the journey has ended... at least the journey of getting to the mini marathon with you and the group. It is only one day later and I already miss it. I know it is in me to do things I never thought possible. I am the first one to give up on myself and make all kinds of excuses but, you saw through it and kept me going and didn't give up on me and I cannot thank you enough. There will never be the perfect words to say thank you enough for giving me my life back and making me see that I am worth more then being overweight and out of shape and sitting on the couch. Thank You so much Jamey.
2 new pair of running shoes: $180, new running shirt and shorts for the race: $50, seeing your smile and getting a hug and words of encouragement at the finish line: PRICELESS!
I hope you know how much you are changing peoples lives... and how much that means to those people.
So, because I have no perfect words... I simply will once again say, THANK YOU!
(Kristal was a participant in the INC Challenge in 2009, led by Dr. Jamey Gordon and Mary Collins).
