February Athlete of the Month - Lorrie Cardwell-Panfil

​Join us in congratulating our February Athlete of the Month, Lorrie Cardwell-Panfil.

​Lorrie started training with us last April after being referred to us by her chiropractor.  She had been working with Dr. Michael Noonan and they had set a goal to decrease the frequency of her chiropractic treatments and begin building strength to help support her joints long term.  This was just the catalyst that directed her towards Wilcox Wellness & Fitness.  Her true goal was to feel like an athlete again.  Lorrie had always seen herself as an athlete.  She was a three sport athlete in high school and felt her best when she was physically fit and active.  As she got busy with her career and life, and lost the organized aspect of high school sports, it became harder to fit these physical activities into her life, and she felt like she was losing her identity as an athlete.

​Lorrie quickly embraced the opportunity to regain her connections to her body through her training program at the gym.  She comes into her training sessions ready to work hard and engaged.  She listens to the trainer’s guidance and cues, and works to understand how the exercises in any given training session will benefit her body, how she moves, and how she feels.

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​It wasn’t long before Lorrie started feeling like an athlete again, which furthered the fun and confidence she was experiencing in learning how to play pickleball.  Lorrie quickly embraced the competitive side of herself and brought her pickleball game up a notch by playing in more competitive games with other serious players.  She shared her excitement when she’d come to the gym and we were all so happy to see how her training program helped her reconnect with her athletic identity and enjoyment through this fun game.

​Lorrie always comes into the gym with a BIG smile on her face, but don’t let that smile fool you.  She’s very serious in her training sessions and wants to get the most out of each minute.  Lorrie is the type of person who smiles when she’s working hard, even if it’s challenging to her and she’s struggling in some way, she’s still smiling.  You can really see just how much she enjoys working in the gym.  One day Lorrie came in and she wasn’t smiling.  She shared how she was having some tests done to diagnose a possible serious health condition.  She shared her fears in how such a diagnosis may impact her ability to keep up with her training program, the intensity at which she’s enjoyed working, and her ability to maintain consistency.  Lorrie welcomed the support provided by the trainer team where she was reminded to take each day at a time, to do what she felt she was able to do each day, and to rest as her body required.  By listening to her body she was able to maintain balance in her overall energy and her commitment to her training sessions.  Thankfully, tests came back negative and Lorrie was able to identify some less intense changes to help her address some of the symptoms she was experiencing, and enthusiastically resumed her higher intensity commitment to her training program.

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​Working through this challenging time with Lorrie only reinforced her connection to the trainer team and her resolve to be her healthiest best self.  We know that we cannot take our health for granted, and we should cherish our abilities to move the way that we want to each and every day.  Lorrie’s grandmother was a major inspiration in her spirit and attitude towards movement.  Her grandmother was diagnosed with MS at a young age, but never allowed the disease to define her or limit her.  She was committed to moving every single day and walked on her own two feet with the assistance of a  walker for as long as she could.  I’m so happy to be inspired by Lorrie’s grandmother through the spirit that lives on in Lorrie.

Lorrie, we just love training you and we’re so proud of all that you’ve achieved in your training program.  Keep up the great work!