Hello Friends!
I thought I would share a little bit about myself for my FIRST blog post!
Where to start... the beginning I suppose?! Well for starters my name is Sydney, I was born and raised in a tiny little town in northwestern Minnesota where I graduated from a class of 25 (gasp)! During high school I played basketball and volleyball, which I loved, but unfortunately I was plagued with an array of different injuries that left me hurting more than hustling. After my last surgery, and as I started college, my physical therapy appointments helped me find the gym and fitness in a different way then competitive sports. I started studying different ways to work out, mostly on Pinterest. I found myself longing for working out and made it a large part of my life, in a healthy way. In college a few of my friends introduced me to the world of bodybuilding, and what a world that is. I longed to give it a try but was never quite sure how to go about it. It wasn't until my junior year I competed in my first show, it went okay but, I was disappointed to say the least. I continued on in the gym using it as a coping mechanism for bad relationships school and life stress, leaving it to be the only good part about my day.
After I graduated college with degrees in biology and athletic training, I decided to try again! I was so determined to grace the stage and completely crush my last show, I had a new coach and went all in. This time around I thought my physique looked amazing, especially compared to last time. But unlike my body, my mind was not always in the right place. And a few weeks out from that show, it got cancelled. My heart was shattered (despite finally getting to eat something), I had worked so hard and all of it was for nothing. For a few months after that I kept training hard but without any direction, my food habits went out the window, I had craved so much food while on prep I totally gave in and gained somewhere around 25 pounds. And to help combat that I started with a new coach and decided to compete that spring. My relationship with this coach was easier (girl to girl worked better for me) and I had full confidence that she would help me. But the truth of the matter, and something I didn't see, despite what I think my coach was trying to tell me, was that my body was tired. My mind was tired. I. Was. So. Tired. I was sick for weeks at a time, hormonal, irritable, exhausted mentally and physically. And I just chose to ignore it and grind, I wasn't going to quit. No matter the fact that I wasn't losing weight because I was so stressed out, I was determined to walk across that stage despite knowing I didn't even stand a chance.
It occurred to me a few weeks later that God's intention this time wasn't for me to win, but to realize that maybe he put me there for another reason. Looking back at that day I realized it was to help someone else, unlike a lot of my teammates this wasn't my first show and I knew my way with things. I found myself comforting and guiding them, despite not totally knowing what I was doing, and giving them the help they needed. Maybe that's it. And I have never stopped thinking about how I felt knowing I could be there for someone in that way, and it's a large part of why I am here writing this now! As a healthcare professional, each day I treat and help my patients to stay healthy. And now I finally feel like God is pulling me to do the same here on this platform.
Looking back at my life from a health and wellness stand point, it is easy for me to see where I was going wrong. I always had one or two ingredients right, but I was also always lacking others. I often found myself only giving 100% to small parts of my life instead of looking at the whole recipe. Life is complicated, there are no if's, ands or but's about it, and it can be difficult to navigate through it! But trust me when I say its worth it to put in the energy to find the right path for you to get the best life and you that is possible!
Since my last show, I have spent an entire year learning, growing and giving my body grace and finding a BALANCE that allows me to have fun, enjoy life, be strong and confident in who I am. The beautiful thing about this, is that its a lifestyle. Its a choice I get to make each day to be the best possible version of myself, and each day I continue to learn more and more about myself and how to better serve those around me. I continue to strive to cultivate positivity and inspiration to those around me!
I believe in creating a sustainable lifestyle that is individualized to each person, to their life and their goals. No one is perfect, and not one approach work for everyone. Life is such a beautiful thing and I don't think any one should spend one minute not trying their best to enjoy it and feel so full!
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