Do you ever think back to what may have led you to the life you are leading now?  What helped you find your passion for what you do now?  Who in your life you can you thank for being the catalyst for your current happiness?  I can think back to my first experience with fitness and exercise during my grade school years. Along with my fellow classmates, I had to participate in the Presidential Tests during what I would like to fondly remember as our “Fit week.”  During this Fit Week, the students and me ran a gamut of exercises, establishing our baseline for strength and gauging our overall level of health.  I believe these same tests are still given in some schools today, but the overall results I’m sure are much different due to the decrease of physical activity in children nowadays.  As a 7^th grader I found this week to be one of my favorites because not only did it take up class time, but the competitive side of me got to showcase my athletic prowess against the boys.  During this time, I wasn’t afraid of scraping a knee or running toe-to-toe with the boys—you could find me playing touch football, dodgeball, and kickball with the boys at recess.  Do kids still call this period of reckless abandon “recess?”  Recess was my favorite—I’m a do’er and see’er not just a bookworm… That black top ignited a competitive flame inside me and I developed such a high level of self esteem.  I became a great dreamer and knew if I worked hard at whatever it was I wanted to do I could become successful, even if I was competing against the boys.  Today, not much has changed.  I still want to be the best and I am willing to take on any challenge.  Well, almost….As long as it’s not running more than 3 miles! I’d rather do 150 burpees or do the Santa Monica stairs 20 times than run for extended periods of times…

The first Fit Tests I recall were to complete the most amount of  Push-ups, Sit-ups, and Pull-ups for a minute.  All 3 of these tests were so hard for me at the time. Pull-ups were unquestionably the hardest… (and STILL are!).  I didn’t do too well, but I do remember watching this one girl in the grade above me in awe as she rocked out the Pull-ups portion no problem.  I swear she must of cranked out 20+!  Needless to say she took 1^st place in that test and served as an archetype for what I wanted to achieve. Years later, I was privileged enough to play professional football and have her as my quarterback. (I miss those days with you Mary D—thanks for being one my life’s catalysts!)

Continuing on with this wave of nostalgia, I remember another Fit test that involved a timed mile run.  Ironically enough, I ended up finishing 1^st in this category.  I laugh at this one looking back because if you know me today, the only way you can find me running is if it was a part of my Crossfit workout or some type of challenge.  Running is my least favorite activity, and I blame college basketball 6am track practices for that…

The other activity that I remember being tested on was the shuttle run.  This was one test I was looking forward to the most.  I knew I was the fastest girl in my grade, and maybe in the whole school.  But I wanted to know how I stacked up against the boys.  There were two boys who I knew were going to be my competition.  I didn’t really know how to practice for this one, but I knew if I was going to be first my turns had to be quick and flawless.  I was most concerned about slipping on the dirt that we had to run on as we made any type of cuts.  I still look back on that day smile.  I ended up finishing 1^st overall.  And one of the boys I had beaten had grown up to play professional baseball.  I guess that makes me an elite athlete, right?  (And yes Matt K you are yet another catalyst in my life and I owe you for my skill of being somewhat ambidextrous.  All those left handed baseball practices paid off!) 

Sometimes, a retrospective search in our childhood memories renders the various reasons as to why we develop our quirky habits, aversions to certain life’s scenarios, or most importantly why we are exactly passionate about our life’s work…  So why write about some fitness tests that were performed 20+ years ago you may ask?  At the risk of sounding cliché, in retrospect, these tests were such a ‘pivotal turning point’ for me. The athleticism, competitive nature, and overall enjoyment I experienced throughout the years of Fit Weeks in grade school served as the basis for which I wanted to pursue sports professionally. Even years later, I still have that athlete mentality which is why Crossfit is my choice of workout.  It enables me to still compete with the boys (and of course beat them–hehe), and have fun at the same time! The myriad of experiences in sports I’ve had over the years has revealed my passion for fitness and manifested itself in my personal mission of helping others be healthy. Furthermore, my competitive nature surfaces in my professional life as well in that I am always striving to produce the best results with my clients. 

We as mature adults may be different people now as compared to our grade school alter egos years ago, but there are still some characteristics that are the same.  I am thankful for those cataclysmic people and “pivotal turning points” and hope you can recall yours.  Reflecting on the past leaves us with footprints on a path we once followed and reminds us of whom we used to be and the lessons learned along the way. What were you like in your childhood and who were your heroes or what type of experiences along the way helped you be as amazing are you are today?!