We all have those moments when you stumble upon an old picture and it brings you right back to that moment in your life. Well that’s what the picture to the right did for me. It’s from five years ago, and I vividly remember it being my wake up call to finally do something about my weight and fitness. While I was never considered overweight, I hadn’t realized how the weight had crept up over the years.
So I made it a goal to try running. Now, let me tell you, I was one of those people who *hated* running at first. Really. I saw absolutely no thrill or point to it. But I begrudgingly started jogging 1 mile at a time, and within four weeks, I felt a difference in both my performance and fitness. I became a believer.
And I shaped up a bit…just in time for a twin pregnancy. Woo-hoo! Fast forward after a year of babyhood…and I was ready to give my body the due attention it deserved.
So I set out to work with a nutritionist/trainer, and it changed my whole outlook on fitness. It gave me the foundation for strength training, how to train properly for races and triathlons, and a new confidence to actually view myself as an ‘athlete’. I loved the results I was achieving, and how this new confidence transcended to all my roles in life.
It also gave me the nudge to venture away from my long career in education and attempt a new career that mixed fitness with my counseling background. I became personal trainer and coach, which later helped me become a fit model for a VERY cool women’s athletic clothing line…
Fit Model? Me? Huh? Yes. I serendipitously heard about the opportunity, applied, and became one of Athleta’s try-on models. With the job, I try on clothes for all the various designers, merchants, and managers for their current and future lines. It’s pretty much the coolest job for this mom.
All this may sound a bit Pollyannaish, but I really never, EVER imagined I’d be a personal trainer/fit model/mommy athlete who’s serious about her sport — and say it all with confidence. But when I look at the big picture and reflect on the past five years, I realize all my prior goals have led me to exactly where I am today. And then it makes perfect sense. Which is a pretty cool feeling — a feeling I try to remind myself of everyday.
ANNE MARIE SEBASTIANI is an athlete, fitness writer, and creative life coach living in the Bay Area, where she also works for Athleta as a "try on" model during the design & development process. She helps individuals, buddies, and groups discover their inner athlete and limitless life potential through her coaching. You can learn more about Anne Marie through her blog GoalsForTheWeek.com and coaching site GFTWCoaching.blogspot.com.
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