Age: 30

Occupation: Cardiac Nurse

How long have you been coming to Saco Sport & Fitness? I have been going to Saco Sport and fitness for 5 years.

What made you decide to start coming?

I have always battled with my weight and have rode the weight loss roller coaster. It wasn't until this past Christmas when I received sessions with Kelly from my sister that I looked at why I was always hitting roadblocks. As a cardiac nurse I always strive to be a good role model. I see people in my line of work that didn't make good lifestyle choices. I made a decision that I will not be one of them. I want to show people it is never too late to make a change. We only get one body for a lifetime and I want to take care of it!

Have you been able to reach your goals??

My breaking point was when I felt too heavy to ride my horse. I was losing my passion. This was a motivator for me and have since lost almost 30 lbs. This allowed me to guiltlessly ride my horse through miles of trails in Acadia and up mountains. That memory alone has made every challenge I faced worth it. I am getting my life back and living everyday to the fullest. I am not finished my journey and have many more goals to make.


If yes, how did you accomplish that and did you have help and/ support?

Working with Kelly has helped me reassess my lifestyle and keep moving forward. The greatest thing she has taught me is that it doesn't take drastic changes and I had a lot more time to exercise when I stopped making excuses. For example, I work night shift and mentally it wasn't an option to exercise after work. Now I go running in the morning after a night shift with friends and have had some of my best runs. The key is to just get there! I also take an extra couple of minutes before work to make dinner instead of the processed food I used to eat. I take my own lunch to work and when tempted with unhealthy choices I take 5 seconds to think about whether it is worth it and usually it is not.  I am still able to go out with friends and have learned better choices when going to a restaurant. It is about compromise. I now enjoy taking classes at the gym where I am pushed harder than I would be if I were on my own. The combination of timing, an awesome connection with an amazing trainer and the ability for me to finally hold myself accountable is what has helped me succeed. In the short time I have worked with Kelly she has already helped me achieve things that my brain always tried to convince me I could never do. Thank you for believing in me.

What are your health/fitness plans for the future?

Although it is nice to see the numbers on the scale decrease I am not a number person. I can't even count reps (ask Kelly). I like to measure my accomplishments in life experiences. I have plans to climb Mt Katadin at the end of the summer. I would like to participate in a road race or even Trek across Maine next year. Since becoming more athletic I have learned that people I already new had similar goals. I feel like I just started and I have many more mountains to climb. I want it this time and know that life is too short to not live it right, struggles and all! I was a member of both the field hockey and lacrosse teams at the University of New England. I was also a member of various intramural teams. As a recent graduate, I want to take what I have learned over the past four year and use it to not only continue to change my life, but to also help change the lives of those in my community.  I plan on continuing my education for my Doctorate in Physical Therapy after taking a year off.