A Beautiful Heartbreak Story
“A life is a thousand little moments that create a mosaic masterpiece” I am inviting you into my story to get to know me and my WHY for starting Mosaic Fitness and Nutrition.
As early as I can remember, I have loved to MOVE, I was an athlete, a gymnast, a cheerleader, a dancer and passionate about fitness. Personal Training was my second career (I had been a special education teacher) and when I moved to Texas I chose to step into the abyss (a place I find myself in often…commence the eye rolling) and pursued a certification in 2001 at the Cooper Institute of Dallas. I knew I found a career that suited me and gave way to the foundation of my being —> to make a difference in the lives that cross my path. The decision led to opportunities to work with every population from athletes, seniors, pre- and post-natal, rehab, triathletes, boot campers, professional dancers and of course the general public. As a life long learner, I earned several other certifications, managed recreation centers, fitness professionals, created nutrition and workout curriculums. I diligently became educated on nutrition, organic foods, eating clean, and creating a healthy lifestyle using behavioral strategies on myself and with my clients that created sustainable changes. Personally, I made some decisions that changed the course of my life forever; once in ministry and now divorced, 2 amazing boys but a single mom, passionately pursuing a health & fitness career and now working for someone else, relationships once amicable now dissolved…BROKEN PIECES…[take a deep breath…get ready).
I turned 40, met a wonderful man and in 2015 found out I had…CANCER. That dreaded word that even makes me grit my teeth as I type because it conjures up images I would rather forget. So here I am at the precipice of my life (or so I thought…pause and contemplate the sweetest time you can remember) yet now I stand looking into the abyss…After going through all the emotionally responses of “why me?” ,”how could such a healthy person with no genetic disposition, history, get cancer?”, “did I believe I was exempt because of my healthy lifestyle?” (fists in the air or punching a pillow), self-loathing, victimized thinking, “Is God punishing me for past sins?” Screaming, crying, praying, bargaining…rinse, repeat…I surrendered [another deep breath].
Some of you get this all too well and so I imagine myself sitting with you sharing a cup of coffee without words, only eyes of compassion. I will save you all the yucky details of treatment and give a brief snapshot of life since my personal D-Day. My OPTIMISM said “I will overcome and eat healthy and workout all through treatments”, REALITY said “radiation, chemo, excruciating pain, Morphine, Diluadid, 2-week hospital vacation, life-altering surgery, early menopause, nothing will look the same again!” ….more BROKEN PIECES———> MOVING FORWARD———> As I was too sick to continue postoperative chemo my oncologist stopped it, I was a stage zero at surgery and I had 6 hours to celebrate before the longer and the more arduous journey began [maybe grab some popcorn now]. I like to call this the Trifecta Mission. My husband, Philip, was sent to the ER six hours after that last talk with my oncologist. He had been wearing a boot (you know the kind you wear when you have an ankle or foot injury) and had developed blood clots (DVT) in his legs and multiple pulmonary embolisms (PE), think we can say “LUCKY TO BE ALIVE!” So, here is the Trifecta Mission (fix the mechanical issue with the ankle, wait-and-see on those blood clots, oh and you developed a nerve condition called CRPS (AKA “the suicide disease)….more BROKEN PIECES.
Since 2015, it’s been a roller coaster of conditions, take a walk on the wild side of treatments for him and more abbreviated diseases/mutations and syndromes than i could even remember, it’s been a continued surrender because his condition is chronic. The silver-lining? We begin a foundation called The Burning Limb Foundation (check it out on Facebook!).
A word came to me at a women’s conference in 2016…MOSAIC and later MASTERPIECE. I knew from my years working with individuals through Ministry, Personal Training, Nutrition Coaching, self-discovery workshops and retreats that most often we work in parts, segmented pieces and sometimes as clients feel comfortable they open up and allow you into their worlds giving you their “WHY NOTS their “I CAN’TS” their “IF ONLYS” and the broken pieces of their lost dreams, hopes, and desires for their bodies, health, and ultimately their lives. My Mission became clearer - give people a voice to their pain, strategies for their obstacles, and learn to ask the right questions so they could have victory and freedom to live with themselves in peace. I may be training your body physically but your mind is where the real undoing has to occur to create sustainable changes.
Coaching the pieces together is a holistic approach to fitness, nutrition, education, life, and self-awareness. I am a living example of this process, as the storms have risen higher and there is little to brace myself on, I have learned strategies to keep stepping forward and being present. My body is different, but I developed an integrated progressive collaboration with physical therapists, chiropractors, hyperbaric chambers, nutrition, supplementation, pilates and strength/cardio training, pulling myself back towards healing and wholeness. It has been the most difficult journey I have ever taken and it’s a process of surrender because I do what I do to create the BEST environment for this body knowing nothing is infallible. The silver-lining is you can ALWAYS start again, it will not look the same but anyone who wants to grow and have different results knows it takes dedication and hard work.
My story has created a beautiful heartbreak in my life that I will have the opportunity to share with the world through Mosaic Fitness and Nutrition. My goal is to provide fitness and nutrition education, customized and progressive workouts, common-sense strategies to begin again (no matter how many times you have started) and empower you to trust the process, stay the course, be consistent, and dedicate yourselves to making your legacy and life a Masterpeace.