Celebrity Dance Challenge Part 2/ Cycling My Passion!!!!!

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Once upon a time I was an athlete. From the time I can remember I was riding my big wheel, climbing trees and jungle gyms. I started gymnastics when I was five,  raced track, played tennis on the boy’s team in High School and then I found cycling.

I had a guy friend who rode his bike from Albany, NY to Cape Cod. Everyone thought he was crazy. However, since I lived in the middle of nowhere (for a few years I lived on the Vermont border in New York) in order to see my friends, and since my Dad couldn’t drive me, I got on the bike and rode. I thought, “If Chris can ride to Cape Cod, I can ride down the street”-even if down the street meant a 2 mile climb straight uphill on the way back.

I began riding my bike everywhere. It didn’t matter how far or how long it took me. I kept breaking frames and my Dad kept buying me bikes. At 16 I was riding 100 miles one way to volunteer for the 6 Day Advanced Course ( A week long ropes course focusing on breaking through where you stop in life). I think about it now and I don’t think it was a good idea with the fact I had a bad bike, no extra tubes or knew how to change a flat,  just in case I got a flat, no cell phone etc. But I did it anyway and those were some of the happiest moments of my life. I never felt freer, more alive and accomplished.

It was the summer of 1984 and it was Olympic year. I LOVE the Olympics. I love what it stands for. I love to watch athletes from all over the world come together and give it their all after preparing every minute of every day for their sport. I was watching one day and the announcer said, “Stay tuned for Women’s Cycling, an inaugural event”. WHAT? A sport???  CYCLING IS A SPORT??  I had no idea that it was. I didn’t know people raced their bikes or that the Tour de France existed.  I began investigating this “sport”.

That’s when I wrote Bicycling Magazine and asked them “how do you break into this sport????”.  My question was published in their magazine. Pre- internet you had to go to your local bike store and they were the ones that passed on where the races were. I found a great store, bought a new bike (thanks Dad) and found a race.

I raced my first race. I had no idea what I was doing and I crashed. I was strong enough to hang in but had no idea what to do when turning a corner at 25mph. LOL. I hit a hay bale in front of a fire hydrant. Ouch!

I rode my bike over 250 miles a week for several years and throughout my college experience. I looked for people who rode and any races I could go to. I still had no idea what I was doing but I absolutely LOVED riding my bike. My senior year however, I still hadn’t figured out how to get into the sport (this was 1988) and I quit. I sold all my gear and I was bitter.

I didn’t get on a bike again until 1996.

The summer of 1996 the Olympics were coming to Atlanta. I was mad! I had an almost 1 and 3 year old and the last thing I needed to be reminded of was riding. Olympic fever almost alluded me until the torch was just outside of Atlanta. I couldn’t stand it! I called up Randstad, the staffing company and said put me in the middle of all of it. I worked a beer cart at Underground. SOOOO MUCH FUN!  The magic and aliveness of the Olympics will be embedded in my memory forever.

The Women’s Road Race was on a Sunday. I didn’t have to be to work until after noon so I thought, “I’ll just go watch a lap”. Well, I stood near Christ the King Church on Peachtree and as the riders turned the corner from Peachtree Battle with the helicopters overhead, I lost it. I remembered how much I loved this sport. I called in sick and I watched the whole race and made my way to the finish to watch a 38 year old woman win the gold. I was inspired and decided right then and there I was going to ride again.

Somehow I managed to find the right bike at the time, the right bike shop and joined the Leukemia Society’s Team in Training. I signed up to ride 111 miles for the Tour de Tucson the following November (which I did my first race in 5 hours and 55 min) and in the meantime I received my certification to become a personal trainer.

I wanted to be in the Olympics more than anything. I raced for over 8 years. I trained at 5 am when I had to. I would train all morning, sometimes riding 75 miles and then do makeup all afternoon.  I had to lie to my ex husband. I begged everyone I knew to watch my kids for just a few hours so I could train. I made some of the most lasting friendships (love you Tricia O’Brien-it was at her wedding I met my husband Charlton who was an AMAZING cyclist). And in the end when I finally made a team that could have helped me become the best I was capable of they didn’t ask me to return for a second year because they didn’t want to “ask me to take time away from my family”. I was devastated.

I also realized that I was NEVER going to be in the Olympics. I was sad and I needed to figure out for me what life was like not figuring out how to get a workout in every day.

I will tell you….when I hear someone say I don’t have enough time…I hear… I am not willing to do what it takes; I will not choose….. I had 2 children who were little. I still made it home to make dinner. I read stories and gave them baths. They saw their mom compete and work hard. They went to my races. One vivid memory I have is of my son sticking his head out the car window and yelling, “Get your butt up the hill MOM!!!”  I still think about that and I smile.

I created my life to support my cycling. If you are committed, anything is possible. Maybe not the Olympics but close.

Next entry: Personal Training, 11 years dedicated to others fitness compared to the last four years launching Authentic Beauty and not working out for the first time in my adult life…STAY TUNED

Celebrity Dance Challenge Part 1

Recurring memory:  I am 13 years old in theater classes at the prestigious Empire State Youth Theater Institute.  I LOVED  this program. (I always thought I was going to be an actress when I grew up). I took the city bus to downtown Albany, NY and went to class in the theater on the capital concourse known as the “Egg” every Saturday morning.  We were required to take dance in the morning. It didn’t matter that I was told for most of my life that Grace was not my middle name.  Our dance instructor is Ka-ren, not Karen. She was from England, spoke with a British accent and was a fierce ballerina.

Karen, although beautiful could be extremely cruel. When at the barre, if my stomach was sticking out, should would flick it, never explaining that if I held my core (or taking the time to explain to me what my core was) my posture would be better. I was already conscious about my “pooch” as I was a sensitive teen. But the most vivid memory I have is of practicing a routine. I loved to be in the front row (can you imagine?). I was never any good at memorizing the dance numbers we did but if I could follow someone, I was great! A new girl had been in the class a few weeks. She had a dance background and I LOVED following her. She was talented at dance the way I was at theater. Then one day in the middle of a routine, Ka-ren singled me out in front of the entire class and made me do it by myself. I couldn’t do it.  I was humiliated and I never wanted to be in the front row again and then I never wanted to dance in a class again. I dropped out of the Institute and I don’t think I ever took a group dance class again.

I found out a few years after that Karen had killed herself. I wasn’t happy to hear that although she caused me so much pain and humiliation.

My younger sister took dance most of her youth and I think she even takes adult classes to this day. I found my physical self-expression in gymnastics and later in cycling and in personal training. Bottom line, I became an athlete and saved my dancing for the dance floor at a club.

Every year Authentic Beauty helps EDIN (Eating Disorders Information Network) with their Celebrity Dance Challenge, a fundraising event for their important organization very much like Dancing With the Stars. It is awesome to watch all the local celebrities give it their all and become dancers. Some better than others, but ALL having fun and dancing passionately. I thought “good for them”. I will NEVER do that. I enjoy my support roll doing makeup BACKSTAGE.

I attended a luncheon with Lisbeth Rhine, Edin’s administrator in January who looked at me and said, “You should dance this year”. I laughed at her and DID NOT take her seriously. A few months later again, “Be a dancer” and then finally one last request this summer. I guess they really are serious.

FIRST….I am NOT celebrity enough to do this.

TWO I have not danced (formally) since I was 13.

THREE, even though I WAS an athlete (another blog) I am NOT now

FOUR, how can I find the time……

And then I found myself saying yes. I will give you the reasons why:

ONE: Do you remember the quote about doing something once a year that scares you? This SCARES me. I can jump out of planes, go over 55mph on a bicycle downhill, open a business in a BAD economy, attend a course called Enlightened Warrior, but ask me to dance on stage….FORGET IT!  So I thought about really understanding and knowing the power that comes from breaking through personal and physical limitations this has both for me.

TWO: EDIN is my sister non-profit. I visited them when I first launched Authentic Beauty and the administrator at the time listened to what I had to say and said, “Just wanted to make sure you aren’t LIPSTICK EMPOWERMENT”. I think I am to a certain degree lol. EDIN informs girls about the danger of obsessing over their bodies and give strategies and information to our girls so that they can make healthy choices, in addition to giving all kinds of support and information to anyone who is dealing with an eating disorder.  Project Authentic Beauty’s Director ( AB’s non-profit initiative), Alison Cross has over 15 years of experience with Eating Disorders. She designed our Body, Beauty and Bravery seminar and PAB to empower girls and women to feel beautiful from the inside out. EDIN is our sister organization in having that mission become a reality.

THREE: I needed a PERSONAL goal. I have business goals up the wazoo. If you all didn’t know I was a personal trainer for over 10 years, I was a competitive cyclist for 8. I have the Olympic Motto tattooed on my ankle (citius, altius, fortius). I was/am out of shape. I know myself that in having a goal I will transform myself…..

FOUR: I wanted to inspire those of you out there who know how busy I am with the business, my clients, the events, my family (two teens and a husband) that you can do something like this if you commit. It is all about the commitment and taking action.

I will talk in the next blog about what my history was as an athlete, a personal trainer, AFTER delivering a 10 pound baby and weighing 210 pounds at the time of delivery. AND now current state of CEO and business owner and not having the time to exercise consistently…….and having gained 25 POUNDS since giving up personal training and starting AB 5 years ago!!!!!

I will show you pictures and tell the story! STAY TUNED…. I will also tell you how I am getting in shape and becoming fit at 43 in preparation for this dance. I will share about my rehearsals with my amazing partner Jeffrey Scott Bailey.

I have already discovered MANY MANY MANY resources in this journey already.

Looking forward to sharing this with you all.