Where can people find you, i.e. what’s your role within FIT4MOM | MOCO + FREDERICK?

All things Downtown Silver Spring! I love taking and teaching classes at Veterans Plaza and the NEW location Nolte Park. I teach both Stroller Strides and Strides 360 and I am a sucker for an outdoor workout on a beautiful day!

Tell us your {entire} FIT4MOM story!

You sure you want the entire thing? Okay here are 5+years of F4M history coming your way!

Before becoming pregnant with my oldest I remember having a great workout routine however, while I was pregnant I slowly stopped working out. I was so scared to do something wrong that I didn't do anything, thinking I would return to working out once I had the baby. I googled how to work out on maternity leave and found the F4M site. The day I took Harper home from the hospital I e-mailed Heather, ready to attend my first class only to learn I had to wait 6 weeks!! I was too excited to get started I scheduled that appointment for first thing on a Tuesday morning and stopped at my first class on the way home!

Shortly after joining we moved out to college park and my walk to class turned into a much longer drive. I thought about quitting but luckily Claire and Kristy reminded me how much more than a daily workout Stroller Strides had become. I was going 4/5 times a week and staying for ALL the playgroups and coffee. The 'big kids' helped teach Harper to walk and the knowledge and opinions of the other moms was so much better than anything I would find on Google. Shortly after that I took on my first role as a Playgroup Captain.

I attended Strides until the day I went into Labor with Hayden. Hayden's labor was so much shorter and easier and I credited that with how strong and in shape I was. I wasn't scared to move my body the second go around because of the variations offered and the other moms I worked out with who had done it safely too.

After that I was talked into joining Run Club. I say it that way because I really didn't think I liked running. But I really like training, I like competing with my last time or distance and I love race day! At the same time I became an instructor and really love helping other people find joy in fitness.

I joined for the workout and because I didn't have any mom friends or family in the area. I stayed because these mom friends became so much more, offering support when my husband almost lost his job, listening when my in-laws became sick, pushing me to learn to love running, starting our kiddos in soccer and feeding my family after the addition of baby 2&3.

I could go on and on about how much easier my life as a mom is because of both the workouts and community I found at F4M. I became a playgroup caption and right after having Hayden became an instructor. I am so proud when my big girls play Stroller Strides and know that women can be strong and kind.