MY SPONSORS

This post will be a little different but it is on my mind! A lot of professional athletes have sponsors to help support their training and dreams. I got to thinking this week about certain situations that occurred where I felt incredibly supported by those around me. I genuinely feel a need to share some anecdotes about just how many “sponsors” I have. This post is by no means an exhaustive list of everyone or even everything that I have in this regard. It might not even be the most entertaining. It’s just some stand out moments from this week that highlight the army of people in my life that believe in me and are willing to go out of their way to support my training and lifestyle.  

MY PARENTS go above and beyond to support me living my dream. They certainly don’t have to help as much as they do, they choose to. They believe in my ability to, with time, get where I need to be. They never complain about making sacrifices if this means they are helping me pursue my passion.

My mom texted me this week asking when I was arriving home. It was not “easy” for her to leave work and pick me up during her lunch break but she did because she knew it would make my life tremendously less stressful. Just another small example. If I ask my dad to pick something up at the grocery store he will often come home and say “I got this brand, the macros seemed better.” My dad does not care AT ALL about the nutritional content in various foods, he really just cares about the taste! But he supports me so much he is willing to do this. The unconditional love I receive from my parents is a gift I know many others do not have, and I am grateful.

CHERISE is my friend from the gym. She inspires everyone and her kindness is something we can all strive for. Cherise has selflessly gone out of her way to pick me up to go to the gym (and even some doctors appointments) almost daily the past couple weeks. She is always willing and refuses anything in return. Her generosity and service has helped me enormously. Her willingness to sacrifice her valuable time to support my training and coaching is something that I am so grateful for. It’s hard to even put it in words.

HUNTER’s kindness towards me this week is another bit of transportation related service I wish to share. One day I was running a bit behind on my workout. I knew the second I finished I needed to leave immediately to catch my train. The only way this would happen is if I asked someone to go out of their way and take me. Hunter (who offers me rides often) was there ready to leave. I mentioned that I needed a ride soon and he sacrificed his own time and waited 10-15 extra minutes for me to finish my last set, put away like seven pieces of equipment, and then pulled up his car all ready to go so I could catch my train. He said “oh I was going to stretch at home but it’s good I’m doing it here.” He was even trying to make ME feel okay about the fact that I asked him to go out of his way. Speaking of which, KADDIE did this exact same thing for me today. Sticking around to “mobilize” in an effort to also help me out. She consistently does this despite having a busy life with two young children. Little acts like this happen for me often, and I am lucky to have such kind people in my life.

SARAH'S support is also invaluable. One of my training partners, Sarah is another “sponsor” that has been instrumental in helping me achieve two PR’s this week! She is extremely positive and genuinely believes in me. She expresses this belief often and is always willing to jump in and tell me how even my weaknesses are strong. She really cares about me and I swear when I told her about a break through on one of my lifts she was truly just as excited as I was. #supportivesarah will be a good nickname to add to #sixpacksarah.

TAEJA has also been an example of positivity and is such a huge contributor to helping me work towards my goals. She is another person who consistently goes out of her way to help me out; even though she has two kids, a job, and frankly just a very packed life! She is extremely caring and her work ethic is something to be admired. After I PR’d this week I couldn’t help but run up to Taeja and just give her a big hug. I told Sarah later that I kind of felt like a little kid running up to their mom because 1. I was so excited. 2. I look up to Taej. 3. She is like 10 inches taller than me so I think it makes me feel younger somehow. J But regardless, she is another individual in my life who is so caring and willing to help in whatever way possible. This kindness is what allows her to literally make friends wherever she goes.

HEIDI also went out of her way with a gesture of support this week. There was a workout I was extremely (irrationally) nervous about. I was especially concerned I would miss the marker I needed to run to as this happens to me all the time. Heidi took time out of her day to go to this location, and take a picture for me! She brought it back to the gym to show me just to ease my mind and help me see where I needed to run. This went above and beyond what anyone would need to do for me, especially after just completing the workout! But nonetheless she happily did so just to make the workout feel less scary for me.

MY COACH has also been instrumental in making my week a success. While he doesn’t always understand me or the way I think, he makes a conscious effort to meet me where I’m at. He tries to do things in a way that will best help support me; such as designing workouts in a specific way to overcome mental blocks. He also helps when I am especially nervous about a workout, giving me reasonable goals to focus on and trying to reduce the pressure I sometimes put upon myself. I am not always rational in training and sometimes my emotions get the best of me. He is extremely patient and willing to work with me. I am very grateful. 

Again, this list is just a small example of the many “sponsors” I have supporting my goals. I could continue and talk about many others. Perhaps I will do a follow-up post. J I just feel so incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such amazing individuals. Their inspiration, support, service, and kindness is something that helps make my dream a reality. I only hope I can return the favor and contribute to their lives half as much as they do for me.  

When we see the news or world events it’s easy to feel hopeless and distraught over situations that are occurring. It’s easy to question if there is even good still happening. After examining my week, I am sure there is. For every bad thing that transpires, everyday individuals are making efforts to help support others and make the world a better place with their contributions. The “sponsors” I have in my life help make it better daily. They help me feel a connection and hone my internal self-belief and confidence that will be instrumental in one day making my dreams a reality.