February 2021 MOM-Motivating Mom of the Month

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 mamas at FIT4MOM Montgomery + Frederick Counties. We want to highlight her efforts to lead a healthy lifestyle and for her dedication to the program. This month we honor....Thelissa Sweeney!

I vividly remember the first time I saw Thelissa on the screen in one of our live classes. I remember because her smile stood out to me. I could feel her positive energy through the screen as we worked out in boxes along side each other via Zoom. While we are practically neighbors, I have yet to meet Thelissa in person due to COVID. However, I have been fortunate enough to get to know her in our virtual Body Well session. Thelissa is a strong, committed mom who works each day to be the best version of herself. I can't wait to see all of the amazing things she does and get to know her even better. This village is so lucky to have her in it. Keep smiling and sharing all of your positivity with the world, Thelissa! ~ Instructor Katie H.

I’m so glad I met Thelissa through Fit4Mom! She is a full-time working mom of 2 beautiful kiddos who is committed to her health and wellness. Thelissa works hard in class and always with a smile on her face! I’m so proud of her and I look forward to working out in person with her again soon! ~ Instructor Meaghan

Thelissa is a hard working and strong mama! I love seeing her in my classes and the energy she brings. Thelissa is one of the sweetest moms and shows up to class full of energy and ready to work! ~ Instructor Marcie

We asked Thelissa 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?

It's myself, husband Tom, kids Cydney 3.5, Evan 13 months and my mother in law Ann.

What is/was your career?

I work as project Engineering Manager, managing capital-engineering projects for a contract development and manufacturing bio-pharm organization in the Frederick area.

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

I think my first class was stroller strides probably the summer of 2018. I remember being equally excited and bummed at the same time. Excited, because all the ladies were so welcoming and bummed that I couldn’t make the classes regularly because of my work schedule.

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

You can find me doing the Body Well Sessions with Katie H. who's just an amazing instructor. I also love Body Boost so, I'll try to hop on to any of the virtual ones I can make. I've also been enjoying the Xpress 360 workouts. I want to make more of the Ignite classes too, every time I've made one those classes it was super challenging.

What is your favorite FIT4MOM exercise?

I love a lot of the exercises especially the cardio ones. It's probably easier to name a least favorite. There's something about on the floor mountain climbers that are especially challenging for me.

What has being a mom taught you?

Being a Mom has taught me so much about unconditional love, perseverance, priorities, needing and providing support and understanding to other moms. Acceptance and perspective, everyone's situation is different. I feel like a failure a lot trying to juggle a career and motherhood but above all I think it's taught me that it's the little things that matters the most. Especially with COVID and not being able to do as much as we used to, I've learned to focus on those little things (cuddles, bedtime stories, silly games, froyo trips) that makes them feel most loved.

List 3 of your favorite things.

Reading, cooking and any kind of family time we can spend together going for walks, or dancing around the house being silly.

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

This is more embarrassing than funny but back when I was super pregnant with Evan, I took Cyd with me to Wegmans. She tossed an entire family pack carton of blueberries on the ground when I wasn't looking. So there I was with my ginormous belly crawling all over the produce aisle of Wegmans trying to pick up all these blueberries that just kept rolling everywhere. Then two really kind ladies stopped to help me and I started to cry because their help was so unexpected and much needed in a moment when I was feeling completely overwhelmed.

Any advice for other moms out there?

My advice would be to give yourself grace, because you are doing an amazing job even if you think you're not.

What would you tell someone who is considering attending their first #fit4mommocofrederick class?

I'm going to borrow from the Nike slogan and say "Just do it". You really won't regret it. It's an amazing community of ladies and so many workout options to choose from. You are encouraged to work at your level and do what's best for your body and all the instructors have been incredible too.

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Thank you, Thelissa for being such a valuable part of Our Village here at FIT4MOM Montgomery + Frederick Counties! 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!