My Mom Is Awesome
My mom made sure physical activity was a part of my childhood – from swimming, dance and gymnastics to camping trips that involved enjoying the outdoors through hiking, fishing or even riding motorcycles. Like most parents, she sat through many years of gymnastic meets. That alone would be enough to acknowledge her for. But that would leave out the fitness role model she became for me in my adult years. It is this example that continues to inspire me to make health and fitness a lifelong commitment.
My mom was a first grade teacher for many years. In and out of the classroom, she commanded a lot of respect. But she also had tremendous patience. This combination was perfect when it came to teaching me and other kids about fitness and life. My mom taught me how to swim when I was very young along with hundreds of other children. At that age, you want to have confidence in your instructor. I certainly had that in her. There was literally no challenge that she couldn’t seem to handle. I recall one of her favorite sayings, “Are you being a good problem solver right now?”
Growing up, my mom concentrated on family. Once my siblings and I were off to college and she went through a divorce, she began to focus on herself. She proved it’s never too late to get fit and develop a love for exercise. She started playing tennis consistently around the age of 48. She was asked to join Who’s Who of Arizona and joined their tennis. They never would have extended the invitation if they knew it was a summer when she didn’t have a job. My mom ended up running that tennis league. They called her “Ed” because she usually played the male spot as they were always short of men. Because she didn’t have a work phone number others thought she was independently wealthy. She got her current husband, Larry, to come play when she showed up at his class in her tennis clothes, and that was the beginning of their courting. I think this is where her personal love for the sport and fitness was born. I still have pictures of her teaching my boys how to play.
There was never a time in my life where I could go long periods without exercising. Whenever I took the smallest break, she would ask me, “Are you exercising?” It was her way of reminding me how important this was for me physically, mentally and emotionally. To be honest, sometimes I said yes, even when I wasn’t. But her words were still there and would sooner or later motivate me to get back into a fitness routine.
My mom is now 79 years old and still playing tennis every week. She is an incredible role model for fitness and life. I owe a great deal of my commitment to healthy living to her. And when I am confronted with a life issue, her words about being a good problem solver make me pause, reflect and shift from frustration and despair to positive action. My mom is awesome. And like her, I want to inspire people my age to develop a love for healthy eating and exercise. With desire, commitment and community, anyone, at any age can be fit, healthy and happy.
Love,
Amy
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