Fitness has always been part of who I am, but my approach and my mindset have changed a lot over the years.

As a former division one and professional soccer player, I learned quickly what my physical boundaries were, and continuously pushed them as far as I could. I trained at high intensities for as long as I can remember, with little regard for how I fueled my body or how negative my inner dialogue became. I was super fit, the strongest I’d ever been, and thriving in my sport, but there was still so much that I was missing. I share this because even though there are endless conversations I wish I could have with my younger self about balance and grace, I also realize that this is the beauty of a fitness journey. We learn. We change. We grow.

 After I hung up my cleats for good, my transition to life without soccer was weird, to say the least. I maintained a solid work ethic when it came to fitness, but I remember feeling so out of body. I no longer had practices, games, and lifts built into my daily routine, and my body was no longer a means to an end…I had a new found freedom when it came to how I wanted to train. On top of that, my lack of understanding when it came to nutrition and what my body needed became extremely obvious.

Fortunately, I have always loved to learn. I slowly developed a better understanding of who I am and how I operate. I started to figure out how to train, fuel, and care for myself both emotionally and mentally without ever abandoning the parts of myself that made me a great athlete.