I hate working out. I just do. (Probably not what you want to advertise but it’s the truth!) I’ve felt anxiety and dread before every workout, run, etc that I’ve ever done. But I have never once regretted showing up and putting in the work. When covid hit, I made every excuse to not work out and to justify my bad habits. But sometime in the spring, we all realized the pandemic wasn’t going to let up, and as a nurse practitioner, my mental health was suffering due to work stress and being quarantined. So I started running laps around my very small neighborhood. It was painful at first, but I kept it up. I then started looking up CrossFit-style workouts to do at home, and did those in my living room and also outside in my driveway if the weather was nice.

In the fall, my husband left for his third deployment, which left me home by myself. I have a great family and wonderful friends, but still I knew I needed a “second” family, one that could push me and keep me motivated while also making me laugh and keeping me occupied on a regular basis. KinFolk has been that for me. To me, it’s not just a gym, it’s a big family who love to have fun and encourage each other. It keeps me busy and lifts me up. The weight loss was just a bonus! The first pic was New Year’s Eve 2019 (going into the hot mess that was 2020), the second was in September of this year. 35 pounds lost, but so much more gained!