I have always been an active person.  I enjoy doing all kinds of things outdoors regardless of the season.  My husband and I both grew up skiing, and converted to snowboarding as adults....because of course snowboarding didn't exist when we were kids!   When the winter's are cold I find that getting outside and enjoying what the season has to offer is the best medicine for getting through the coldest months of the year.

This year I set a goal for myself to get out on the slopes with my husband Eric at least 5 times.  I haven't been on my snowboard as much as I would like over the past couple of years, so this year I took to putting it in writing to hold myself a little more accountable.  I attended a business retreat in the White Mountains of New Hampshire just after the New Year, and one perk was the opportunity to get out on the slopes for a couple of hours one afternoon.  This was absolutely perfect because it gave me the itch to get to my goal.

​The powder was hard work.  I overheard some people in the lodge talking about checking out early because they were so tired.  Eric and I were working so hard we had to go into the lodge to cool down, not warm up as normally the case on an 18 degree day, but that only encouraged us as we set out for run after run, right up to the end of the day.

With every run I would reflect on the work that we do in the gym, and recognize the subtle movements that my body was naturally making, allowing me to maximize every turn.

 ​

When Ellen joined our community in March of 2019 her primary goal was to “live a normal life”. 

Ellen had a stroke 4 years earlier and had a fear of falling.  Ellen and her partner Jeff are avid travelers, and she wanted to be able to enjoy her adventures to the fullest.  Sometimes enjoying an adventure is as simple as being able to walk with ease or to sit on a park bench comfortably so you can soak in the scenery.  These were Ellen’s goals.  They are simple goals, but goals that would have a dramatic impact on the quality of her life.

​The day that Ellen was able to do a full TRX squat is a day that the team still celebrates.  Ellen’s range of motion had been limited when squatting as a result of her stroke, but Ellen was eager and willing to commit to her training program right from the start and despite this so called limitation Ellen arrived to each of her sessions with a positive attitude and with a strong spirit.  She worked on her squat to the extent that she was able to, focusing more on her overall form and technique than how deep of a squat she could do.  One day Ellen’s leg released some tension she had been holding onto and she was suddenly doing a full range of motion squat.  It was absolutely amazing!  It was such a dramatic change she was convinced that she was doing it incorrectly until the trainer confirmed that she was in fact doing a full range of motion squat!  

​Ellen joined our group training program and coupled that with one private session each week to focus upon specific areas that she needed to improve.  We couldn’t be more excited for the progress that Ellen has made over the past 10 months.  During Ellen’s time training with us she has shared several successes and I want to share a few of them with you.

​Ellen’s friends have commented how they notice that she is walking with greater ease, her ability to go up and down stairs has improved.  She has improved her mind-body awareness and connection dramatically, and has increased flexibility.  All of this allows Ellen to move throughout her every day life with greater ease and confidence.  Perhaps the greatest example of this is demonstrated through a story that Ellen shared with us last summer.  Before her training program Ellen required help getting on and off of her boat.  She would essentially crawl off the boat and receive help up to a standing position.  Last summer Ellen arrived one day particularly excited because the day before she successfully stepped from the unstable surface of her boat onto the unstable surface of the dock with only the normal help of someone’s supporting hand.  We were so excited to hear this development and have continued to celebrate successes with Ellen.  

I feel an incredible sense of gratitude for everyone who has supported me, trusted in me, and welcomed me in various ways.  I couldn't have achieved so much if it were not for the people of the Brunswick community.  Thank you to all who have been there.  I am looking forward to what this new year has to bring.  To meeting new people, building upon our fund raising success so we can give back even more, growing as an individual and continuing to impact people's lives each day.  ​