We are so excited to announce our MOM (Motivating Mom of the Month) for February! Each month we will take a moment to honor one of our local FIT4MOM Montgomery County Moms for her efforts to lead a healthy lifestyle and for her dedication to the program. This month we honor....Liz Sims!

Liz is so much fun to have in class! She brings great energy and always jumps into sing a song, even if it's new and she doesn't know the words yet. She is always staying after for playgroup or just to hang out making her a dependable part of our village! ~ Instructor Alice

I love having Liz in my classes! She always comes focused and ready to work hard. She is also very friendly and I can always count on her to help a new mom feel welcome. I am very thankful to have her and her family as part of Our Village! ~ Instructor Adrienne

We asked Liz a few questions so we can all get to know her better, and here is what she had to say:

Who are the members of your family?

My husband Parker, our daughter Madden (age 2) and our Golden Retriever, Gibby. We are also expecting our second baby this September! 😊

What is/was your career?

I work for Northrop Grumman Missions Systems, a Defense Contractor in the area. I am a Project Manager supporting their cyber division. I’ve been with the company for seven years and transitioned to part-time status when Madden was born in 2017, which has been very rewarding. I am enjoying the balance of work and motherhood and the added bonus of Fit4Mom has really given me a sense of structure to my weekdays that I really love.

When was your first class, and what do you remember about it?

My first class was in Spring of 2018, when Madden was a few months old. My sister-in-law introduced me to Fit4Mom (she lives in CT) and mentioned there was a group in Silver Spring, so I decided to try it out. I remember taking forever to get ready and thinking this was such a big deal. Lol I was a little nervous but as soon as I arrived and saw all of these awesome moms making it happen, showing up and ready to spend time together-I loved it. It was a Stroller Strides class led by Adrienne. She was so friendly- she took extra time to walk with me and tell me about the class and the program. What I remember most was getting the feeling that people were excited I was there and Adrienne genuinely cared if I came back- she was so nice and friendly and so were the other moms. Oh and it felt GREAT to sweat and feel ALIVE again, after those first few physically draining months of becoming a first time mom.

Where can we find you? What is your FIT4MOM routine these days?

Stroller Strides in Downtown Silver Spring on Tuesdays and Thursday’s!

What is your favorite strides exercise?

Freedom laps!… and anything with a loop band.

What has being a mom taught you?

I think of myself as someone who has strong faith and growing up I would always hear this term to have “child-like faith” which essentially means, having complete and total trust in your higher power. It kind of wasn’t until Madden came into my world that I fully appreciated what this meant. When you see how your child is so completely dependent on you for everything; making and preparing her food, keeping her clothed, keeping her dry, brushing their hair, making her smile, watching out for her safety, making her laugh, keeping her healthy – realizing she needs you for all of those things and trusts you completely with it all-it’s a very amazing feeling I imagine the moms reading this can relate to and a beautiful one I am grateful to have and to be learning through my child. Just having total faith. I am also really good at reaching for things two rows back while driving, LOL!

List 3 of your favorite things.

My husband who is an amazingly involved dad, picking crabs together and being on the water.

Give us a giggle- What is your funniest or most embarrassing mommy moment so far?

What is your funniest or most embarrassing mommy moment so far? I don’t necessarily have an embarrassing moment (so far) but my favorite giggle lately is when Madden gets out of the tub at night and she runs to the fireplace and faces her fanny to the fire and says “ohhh, niiiiice.” 😊

Any advice for other moms out there?

I’m not good at giving advice but if I had anything to say it would be words of encouragement to keep doing what you are doing. I think most moms are constantly wondering if we are ‘doing the right thing’ whether its work-life integration, spending enough time with your kids, enough quality time with your spouse, having your house put together, your career in check, vacations planned etc. no one is perfect, try to focus on the things you are doing well and forget the rest- there is a time and season for everything, it will all get done and you are doing great- reach out for help, too.

What would you tell someone who is considering attending their first #fit4mommoco class?

Try it! Fit4Mom is a community of AMAZING moms who appreciate and respect wherever you are in your motherhood journey, whether its joining for a few weeks on maternity leave (knowing how hard it is to go back) or becoming a longer term part of the community- they appreciate you for showing up and want to be with you. Also, try a few different classes to see which one you like best. You won't regret it!

Thank you, Liz for being such a valuable part of Our Village here at FIT4MOM Montgomery County! We truly appreciate you & the positive energy you bring to class and Our Village!

Check back to see who our MOM will be in March!