Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Inspirational Stories”
By Laura Bialecki Growing up there was never any indication that there was anything wrong. I was relativity healthy as a young child and as a teenager. In high school I played sports, got good grades and had a lot of great friends. I felt like I had the perfect life. Then I went to college and everything changed…. College …
By Melanie Prew THE WOD I look at the WOD (Workout of the Day) and it is: 5 rounds of: 50 Kettlebell Swings 20 Wall Balls The fear settles in a bit. I shake it aside and set my timer. Before thinking twice, I push the start button and hear, “ 3,2,1,Go!” I grab the Kettlebell and start my swings. I …
SWEET INSPIRATION By Heathyr Marie Stanics “How did you get started in yoga?” “I’m not flexible at all. I can’t even touch my toes. Can I still do yoga?” “Can you give me instructional advice? I want to do what you’re doing, but don’t know where to start.” CURIOUS ABOUT YOGA These are all questions that are sent to …
BUILDING TAKES TIME By Tammy Patnode I have been in the gym since I was 15. I picked up my first Muscle & Fitness magazine at age 20 and knew I wanted to look like the athletes they featured. Mind you, there was not many women in the sport then. Cory Everson and Lenda Murray were 2 women I aspired …
INSPIRING TRANSFORMATION By Brenda Forsyth Growing up I was always a heavy kid, and as I hit my teenage years I managed to gain even more. Everyone would always tell me “oh you are just big boned” or “you are so pretty and wear it well”. Inside I was like, yeah right. I didn’t show it, but it really bothered …
A positive thought process often leads to a greater chance of a positive and successful outcome. Furthermore, a negative thought process often leads to a greater chance of a negative and unsuccessful outcome.
Desiree is a HerSUPPZ Exclusive Brand Ambassador. She thrives on balance between her impressive personal goals and her empowering professional life. She is strong and smart and loves to learn new ways of challenging herself. We see Desiree’s greatness and know you will quickly see why we chose her to inspire and motivate YOU also.
She may be small in stature but she is strong and powerful and has a huge drive that will motivate YOU to Find Your Strength too! Felicia Williams is one of HerSUPPZ Exclusive Brand Ambassadors. To say she is a powerlifter is an understatement. She is that and so much more.
Get to know Felicia Williams and find out why she is a HerSUPPZ Brand Ambassador!
Staying motivated and being consistent in a healthy lifestyle isn’t always easy. Add the pressures of college life and you have yourself trying to squeeze a 48-hour day into 24 hours. We asked Libby Menz how she juggles nursing school, the gym and good eating skills all at once…
Find out how Ryan Clark trains, preps for competitions and WINS…all while living with diabetes. No excuses.
“I finished up my squats and moved on to deadlifts. The moment I started making any noise such as, tapping the plates on the ground to come back up, I could feel their dirty looks. I was not dropping weights or going out of my way to slam anything.”
If you have been fortunate enough to never be ridiculed or judged or criticized…you are lucky.
Find out how Felicia fights the negative in her life and how you can too.
“Growing up I dreamed of being a gymnast. Learning how to tumble, leap, flip across the beam, and swing on the bars was all that I wanted to do. That all changed when the opportunity came to try out for the Junior High Cheerleading Squad…” Think cheerleading is not a sport…think again.
It doesn’t matter what size we are most women have struggled with the way they look at one time or another. We all have caught ourselves saying we are not this enough or we are not that enough. How do we get past that? How do we learn to look at all the good we have? Here are some ways to learn to do just that…
Nikki Lewis shares her trials, struggles, obstacles and successes in her newest blog!
IT ALL STARTED WITH A BREAKUP By Heathyr Stanics It all started with a breakup.Now I know that’s not a positive way to start a bio, but I swear it gets good. In 2011 I split from my then fiancé, and as it neared it’s ugly end, I turned to food and alcohol for comfort, as many women do. I …
Often when we see someone set a lofty goal for themselves the first question we tend to ask them is, “why?” I, too, have been asked that same question many times over the past week. My response is usually a condensed list of my personal reasons for choosing to do the show, but as I was sitting here typing, I thought a better response would be, “why not?”
Ever wonder if you could do a Spartan Race? Read all about Heathyr’s journey and get inspired and motivated to answer YES
I’m not who I used to be, and I’ve never been happier. My former self would have never imagined I’d be where I am today in my fitness endeavors. How did I get to where I am now? I was tired of just being comfortable, and decided to change my goals. Whether it’s giving them a slight tweak, or completely …
MY LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH COMPETING I reluctantly start by telling you, I do not have my Pro Card in Women’s Bodybuilding. Nevertheless, I have gotten asked why I want to compete and sometimes wonder the same thing. So, this will be quite therapeutic for me and I hope it can help someone understand a little more of what competing is …
A month I wish to forget. Due to unexpected health issues that came up, Month 9 started out with me taking a couple weeks off. Which turned into a huge back step for me. It got me out of the healthier routine I was in, I was not as conscious as I should have been with food and I just …
After all this time, the big day is almost here! It’s approximately 48 hours until I cross the finish line of the Racine 70.3 Ironman. Ok, well maybe 49. People have asked me over the past few days how I’m feeling. If I’m ready. Etc, etc. I know I’m ready. My brain just has to tell my stomach and my …
7 months in and i am not where I thought i would be (scale wise). I actually got myself very depressed because of this. My thoughts were “is this really working?”, “is this really worth all the time and effort?” I walk by a scale numerous times a day at work just to get to my desk. It is hard …
1. Knowing that anything I feared was less important than my goal. For instance, taking that swim class if you don’t swim well is more important than being embarrassed about meeting strangers for the first time in a swim suit! 2. Running with the dogs. Not having my own, I “borrowed” some from a local shelter as a volunteer dog …
It’s hard to know where any goal is going to take a person. A goal I conjured up last fall had its roots in middle- and high- school cross country and track, grew to various 5K’s such as the “Turkey Trot” and “Color Runs”, and branched off as I trained for a couple half-marathons with a trainer. I liked doing …
The realization that in less than two weeks this journey will be over both excites me and terrifies me. I know in my head I am ready. I have swam 1.2 miles in open water with my wetsuit and was just fine. I biked 50 miles last week and although tired, had no trouble, even with how hot it was …
I just spent the last week making lasting memories with my boys, my husband and my parents. I knew that training was going to take a backseat for these days, as I spent literally every minute down there experiencing the magic of Disney World. I can honestly say it was the best vacation I have ever taken and probably one …
I am half way through this 1 year of blogging. I have hit the 6 month mark on this journey. Some of the things I have noticed that have changed in this 6 months are that my clothes are getting smaller, my drive to want to do this is getting bigger, my mental and physical strength are getting stronger. While …
Preparing healthy meals is one of those things that we all think sounds great in theory. In reality, it can be a struggle. I probably have 20 articles about meal plans and tons of healthy recipes “pinned” on Pinterest that I have never even really read through or tried. Planning is easy. Making it happen is a challenge.
I actually looked at a calendar this morning and counted the days until my 70.3. 55 Days Out. Whew! And so much to learn. I still haven’t swam in a wetsuit (except if you count the small stint I did at Platteville pool a few weeks back-that lasted about 5 minutes). I still have never swam in Open Water. I …
I’ve been blogging now for several weeks and up until now, things have gone pretty smoothly. I have been faithful to my training schedule, made time to train even when it was inconvenient. I’ve dealt with some shoulder issues and think I have a plan figured out to get through the swimming part. I’ve done great on my bike and …
Ge·ron·i·mo jəˈränəˌmō/ exclamation used to express exhilaration, especially when leaping from a great height or moving at a high speed. I LOVE music! It motivates me, pushes me, and just makes me happy in general. Certain songs remind me of times in my life. Happy times, sad times, times of uncertainty, and times of triumph. The song “Some Nights” by …
As i look back on my 5th month of this journey I’m at a loss of words. I do not have a “big” change this month to talk about, and I need to remind myself that that is OK. Something that i realized this month was that you have to find what works for you. I can not stand cardio …
I’ve learned a lot about myself already during my training, but this week was particularly eye-opening. I’m in my 7th week of training…not quite halfway yet. Runs, rides and swims are getting progressively longer and training is starting to become “inconvenient”. My friend asked me if I was sick of training. I don’t think I’m “sick of training”, I just …
As my workouts get a little longer and life gets a little busier, what keeps me going is the reason why I took on this challenge. I am so thankful to Joe Krantz for putting this idea in my head in the first place and giving me the idea that I could actually do this. He’s taken this challenge head …
I faced a big fear this past week. It’s going to sound crazy, because why would someone that is afraid to go biking with a group be entered in a Half Ironman, right?? Well, my fear came from the fear of not being able to keep up with this well-versed group of bikers. They know what I’m training for and …
Mo·ti·vate moh-tuh-veyt verb To encourage someone to do something. On Saturday, I experienced my first REALLY unmotivated day. Usually I enter into my workouts pretty ready to go…slight nudging needed at times, but usually pretty good. I consider myself pretty good at motivating people, whether it be with my second graders, my high school basketball players, or the people that …
Missy and I have both had very different battles thus far in training, but none the less battles they are! Trying to hurdle these challenges have been proving difficult BUT we shall succeed! This foot of mine has and will continue to slooooow me down. I had my 3rd injection last week and it’s still not improving. So what does …
This weekend presented itself with a few challenges. I was heading to Racine, WI for a weekend with family. I was not sure where I would have an opportunity to swim, I knew I would probably not get my long run in because I’m not comfortable running by myself in Racine, and biking wasn’t an option. So, I got creative. …
My mindset is changing, and the way I think is changing. I realized that this month as I was getting ready to go on a vacation with my husband. In my suitcase I packed a soft lunchbox packed full of protein bars and protein powder divided up into baggies, this was a first ever! I didn’t want to totally fall …
I have a feeling this journey will be all about small victories. Yesterday was one of those small victories. I found myself beginning to doubt myself after a swim with Joe last week. He was kind enough to bring his wife’s wetsuit for me to use. He kept telling me in the car on the way over how I would …
“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” That is one of my all-time favorite quotes that I believe can be used in any facet of life. obstacle (ob-stuh-kuhl) – noun: Something that gets in your way or prevents you from doing something. This is the definition …
Today marks the first official day of my 16 week 70.3 training program. I have been doing a lot of biking on the stationery bike at SUPPZ and I have attempted a few swims here and there. Went for my first decent outside run since I hurt my IT band last night and man, was that a reality check. I …
I am three months into this life changing journey and everything is starting to change. I have now hit the point where I enjoy working out and look forward to it every day. I still do not see much change when I look in the mirror or look at myself, except for every now and again if i stand “just …
One thing I have found the past several years is that physical fitness and diet is more of a mindset than anything else. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t consider myself mentally tough about a lot of things. I like to think I am, but really I’m not. I wear my heart on my sleeve, I am …
Today was the one of the first “sacrifices” of my 70.3 Ironman Training. I reluctantly decided to take the next round of Turbokick off so I could focus on my training. I am realizing that I can’t “wing” this training, like I have for some half marathons and other events. I have to make time to get my bikes, runs, …
A Change, A change for me, A change for the better. If you have not already, please read Amber’s Journey – Her Story to find out how it all began and my Month 1 update. Month 2 update: February 1st rolls around and I still have not mentioned to my husband or family that I am changing my life choices. Around the 5th of February …
A Change, A change for me, A change for the better. If you have not already, please read Amber’s Journey – Her Story to find out how it all began. Month 1 update: By the time January 1st came around I had made it through my first month, a hard month in so many ways. I made it through 6 Christmas celebrations without gaining …
A Change, A change for me, A change for the better. My stats: Age : 29 Height :5’4″ Weight : *** Clothing size : *** Body Measurements : *** *** My “stats” have been recorded for personal use. On the 1 year mark I will reveal the numbers from start to day 365. *** I have been asked to blog …
One of my biggest pitfalls has always been my diet. I am the queen of “I’m going to start eating good tomorrow”, only to eat every bad food around knowing it’ll be my “last one”. I do well for about a week, and then I slowly trickle back down into bad habits. I’ve always thought about eating as “eating to …
I (Joe Krantz) met Bryce’s mom (Jenna Kuenster) back in high school, Jenna from River Ridge and I went to Lancaster. She was dating one of my best friends and I was dating one of her best friends. Back when life was simple! Little did we know that years later our paths would cross again in a totally different way. …
Tomorrow marks the date 5 months out from my first half ironman. While my “official” training program starts at four months out, I have been starting to train on the bike the past couple of weeks and did my first training swim this past weekend. Below is the beginning of my story.
HOW I BEGAN MY 200 lbs of FIGHT originally published Jan 2015 I wasn’t overweight growing up but I certainly did not eat very well and was definitely not in good shape. I am quite sure my story is like many other women who have given birth and struggled with the weight that comes with having babies. Before even realizing …