Category: Living Title IX

An Ace in Life

Volleyball is her game. She started in high school, played Division I in college, and now plays in national and local leagues year round—grass, sand, co-ed, you name it— including a USAV women’s team that goes to the Nationals every year.

We first heard about Holly Nichols through her husband Brian, who called her “beautiful, talented, and an outstanding athlete,” but also someone who wouldn’t “toot her own horn” by contacting us herself. Luckily, she agreed to be interviewed after Brian spilled the beans!

Holly started early. “I was a bit of a tomboy growing up… I can’t sit still very long and am very competitive as well. So sports were a natural thing for me. I was exposed at an early age…I loved it and it has stuck with me through my life.”

Year-round volleyball shouldn’t leave Holly much time to work in many workouts. She plays once or twice a week (including two or three all-day tournaments each month), but still finds time for the gym, running with her husband, and weekly soccer practice with her two daughters. But she’s also found the perfect way to integrate fitness into her work life: running a swim school! “I’m so blessed that I have a job that requires me to get into the water to either train teachers or teach children and adults to swim. This alone helps me to work and workout all in one.” Her on-the-job workouts—treading water, breath control and refinement—get passed onto her students. “Its fun and it helps me to create new drills for my swimmers…I like to work to the best of my ability and try to pull the best out of others.”

As the “best” isn’t limited to fitness. Working out “gives me the ability to focus and make good clear decisions at work. It gives me confidence in myself which is important for setting a good example for my two girls.” According to Brian, their daughters, Maia and Madison, are taking that example to heart. Here’s to another generation!

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Home: Shelton, WA

Occupation: President of Discover Aquatics, Inc. (Swim School)

Education: Degree in Kinesiology and minor in Nutrition at San Jose State University, 1998

Partner: Brian, married 10 years

Children: Maia Nichols (8), Madison Nichols (6)

Age: 34

Height: 5’10’’

Weight: 145

Sports, past and present: Volleyball, soccer, swimming, basketball, snowboarding, wakeboarding, mountain biking

Athletic accomplishments: Placing second at Nationals in Minneapolis 2009 (A division)

Little known fact about you: I’ve wanted to be a Firewoman!

Environmentally incorrect preference: Iced coffee in a plastic cup.

Guilty pleasure: Salt and vinegar chips

Most embarrassing moment: Shooting a basket on the wrong side of the court after halftime in 8th grade! Everyone stood on the other side of the court watching me.

Greatest triumph: Establishing a successful business from scratch.

Favorite thing to do when not working or working out: Spending time with my family

Moment of Inspiration: When my child at 6 ½ years of age out ran my husband at the walk-a-thon. She’s a chip off the ol’ block!

Favorite Quote: “You’re the best mom ever.” —Maia Nichols

Funny Workout Story: In college I was working out with our trainer and he would focus on squats and leg press. One day after a couple of sets and adding one 45lb after another, a strong looking guy came up to us and said he wanted to try the weight that I was pressing. (Wish I could remember how much weight it was.) The trainer advised him that this wasn’t a good idea but he was determined regardless. So as he went down with the first press, his legs gave out and couldn’t get the weight back up. So the trainer and I had to pull the 45’s off one at a time until he could get it back up. We had a good laugh on that one. We tried not to embarrass him too much.

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I don’t have a set fitness schedule because my work requires me to be flexible. I play in a volleyball league 1-2 days/ week, go to the gym 1 day/week, practice soccer with my girls 1 day week, teach swim lessons 1-2 days/week and then I will play in volleyball tournaments on either Saturday or Sunday 2-3days/month, which lasts all day long!

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Golden Opportunities

sue-schmidt-head-shot-tweaked-croppedAt 77, Sue Schmidt doesn’t mince words, or pull punches. She has a clear message for the older women of America: “Get out of your black pants and do something! We need to set goals and believe in ourselves…and it all starts with SPORT!”

This tough love is based on understanding and experience. “Women my age didn’t have team sports growing up. I am so thrilled that this has finally happened to women. Women who have had team sports in their background are going to rise to the top, there’s no question about it.” For her generation, it’s more a matter of will and, often, bravery. Sue hadn’t been athletic at all until, at the age of 42 and in the face of resistance, she took the leap and headed into the woods with Outward Bound. She assured her husband and three children that they’d survive her two-and-a-half-week absence and walked out the door. “I didn’t know how to swim. I didn’t know how to do anything. It was the greatest thing I’ve ever done!”

Thus began 35 years of “adventure and travel.” She’s biked across the country, earned a black belt, run the Boston Marathon, climbed Kilimanjaro and to Everest’s base camp, hiked the 100-mile Mont Blanc circuit, ran a half-marathon in Antarctica, and was the third woman to reach the North Pole without mechanical aid. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg (no pun intended): she’s spent the last 7 years of this incredible life living with cancer. Certain things have changed—immune system problems have cut back on her globetrotting—but she hasn’t slowed down. “Next week I have a 5-hour chemotherapy session. I’ll leave the hospital and go directly to the gym.”

The most fascinating thing is how easy she makes it all sound. When I asked her tosue-schmidt-athletic-tweaked describe fitting what I imagined to be a grueling training regimen into her daily life (which currently involves owning a Girls on the Run franchise, a self-esteem program for 8-to-11-year-old girls that culminates in a 5k run), she said that the crucial thing is simply deciding to do it. She does work out every day of the week, but she also insists, “I’m a weekend warrior. I’m not good at anything. I’m a hacker, always learning.”

Maybe it’s humility. And maybe it’s the life-lesson Sue wants to share: “Women are wonderful and they don’t always know it. I’m always telling them they should be a lighthouse or a ladder for other women. When they say to me ‘Oh, I couldn’t do that,’ I say, ‘Yes you can. You really and truly are smarter and stronger and more powerful than you could possibly ever imagine.’”

Here’s to Sue fulfilling her next dream: running the New York Marathon at 80.

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Home: York, PA

Occupation: Retired from a lot of stuff. Now I volunteer.

Education: 6 months shy of my college degree.

Partner: John, husband of 53 years.

Children: Three…and four grandchildren.

Age: 77

Height: 5’7”

Weight: 130

Sports, past and present: yoga, running, biking, hiking, climbing, dragonboat racing

Little known fact about you: I’m frustrated that I’m not president of Saks Fifth Ave. I’m a fashion freak.

Guilty pleasure: Don’t ever take my wine away from me! I love to talk and eat dark chocolate and drink wine. I really love to eat, which I guess is another reason I’m in the gym all the time. Though it’s not guilty!

Greatest Triumph: Getting to the North Pole. I was the third woman to stand at the North Pole and get there by unsupported means. And it was tough. We were on cross-country skis and it was dangerous. It was the first trip they’d done with amateurs. I was sixty and I wasn’t feeling tip-top, but I couldn’t turn it down when I had the opportunity to go. Getting there alive was probably my proudest accomplishment.

Favorite thing to do when not working or working out: Reading. I never watch TV, but I love movies. I’m a real flick chick. And I think I’m the only person in the world who still writes letters.

Favorite Quote: “Life is a permanent boot camp and we must always be in training.”
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MWF: 1.5 at the gym.
T TH:  Go to the track
Sat: Walk and run in the park
Sun: Biking

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Family Planning

When I interviewed her for this article, Melanie McLouth worried that her story sounded “boring compared to the ladies that run marathons and triathlons.” But the point of this column, and Title Nine itself, is that there is no such thing as “ordinary” when a woman take fitness seriously…and has fun doing it. Sometimes the quiet achievements are most impressive.

Melanie is a registered nurse in the labor and delivery department of a rural hospital in Michigan. “It’s the perfect job,” she says, “meeting new, young families who are having a baby.” Still, she works twelve-hour shifts and, by the time she gets home, she’s been on her feet for fifteen hours. On her days off, “I’m up at the crack of dawn to get Max off to school. Then my two year old is up and demanding—you name it. In between, my sweet Riley wakes up and he needs to get off to preschool by 11:45. Cleaning, laundry, yard work, cooking, and working out have to fit in somewhere.”

And they all do. Melanie squeezes in three workouts a week on her Total Gym and at least one power walk with her black lab Charley on her days off.

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Melanie and Guss

For most of us, “working in working out” can be a juggling act. For Melanie, it almost literally is. “Sometimes, Gus (my two year old) won’t let mommy work out and wants me to hold him. I say, ‘Come on up, Gus’ and the Gusser hops onto my Total Gym and away we go, giggling and smiling.” Her reaction to working out while carrying an extra thirty-two pounds? “I just think: Oh well, I’m getting stronger.”

Speaking to Melanie, it’s obvious that the effects of such strength are far reaching. Like most of us, she works out to “keep my strength up and keep my weight down…and fit my clothes!” But, more importantly, working in those workouts transforms other aspects of her life. As Melanie puts it: “When, I feel great about myself, I have more patience for my family and at work.”

You don’t have to be a triathlete to be a champion.

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Home: Three-bedroom house in the country. Five acres surrounded by farm fields.

Occupation: Registered Nurse: Labor and Delivery

Partner: Husband Thomas of 19 years

Children: Max (8), Riley (5), Gustav (2). All boys!

Age: 39

Height: 5’6”

Weight: 133 lbs

Sports, past and present: Softball, swimming, track, walking, strength training.

Athletic accomplishments: Just staying in shape as a busy mom and nurse.

Little known fact about you: I hate TV. I’m a reader.

Environmentally incorrect preference: I failed at cloth diapers and use disposable.

Guilty pleasure: I eat peanut butter out of the jar.

Most embarrassing moment: I’m too old…I can’t think of one!

Favorite thing to do when not working or working out: Gardening, reading, painting.

Moment of Inspiration: I’ll never forget when my son Riley was born. I had a tough pregnancy, which required a lot of meds to stop labor, etc. I was worried he would not be normal. When I saw his face and little body crying (and he was okay)…words cannot describe the inner calm and peace I had for him that very instant. I will never forget.

Favorite Quote: “I’ve got my big girl panties on,” which means I’m ready and can handle whatever comes my way.

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I work out any spare chance I can get.

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Raising the Bar

wiwo_0909_v2“Lose your head and gain control of your senses.”  That’s one thing that six years of competitive dragon boating has taught Michelle Rudd.  Another is “When the water gets rough, don’t pull your paddle out of the water.  Paddle through it.”

These lessons began innocently enough.  After a great, women-only weekend of kayaking in 2003, Michelle wanted to find a way to stay on the water.  So, she joined a dragon boat team.  By 2007, she was paddling with the Masters Women’s Crew of Team USA in Sydney Australia…and is currently training to do the same in Prague this year.

Mastering a new sport isn’t easy.  In Michelle’s case, she had to work it into the busy life of a land use lawyer in Portland Oregon’s largest law firm: office work, meetings, court appearances, the works.  She’s also a member of the Portland Planning Commission–working to make a “great city even greater for all segments of the community.”  Still, she pulls off 75-minute workouts on 6 mornings per week, and 3 evenings of paddling practice.  It’s not easy, but “it’s become such a habit that I just do it.”  Her sense of responsibility can’t hurt either: “knowing your teammates are counting on you and that races are won based on the commitment made well before the actual race.”

Or maybe it’s just the fact that she’s a “hopeless (hopeful?) optimist who, regardless of what the ‘facts’ suggest never quite buys the idea that something may be impossible.”

At first, the pay-off was the adrenaline rush at the starting line, the thrill of the race. These days, she says, “I love the sense of calm at the start line, knowing we were born to do this and if anyone beats us, it won’t be because we gave it away.  I feel more me in the boat than anywhere.  There’s a sense of power and purpose that’s amazing.”

Amazing indeed!

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Home: Portland, Oregon

Occupation: Attorney

Education: J.D., Masters in City and Regional Planning, BS Civil Engineering

Partner: Kevin

Children: Kassia and Cameron

Age/Height/Weight: Only my coach and captains know for sure.

Sports, past and present: Dragon boating, bicycling

Athletic accomplishments: Paddled on Masters Women’s Crew of Team USA in Sydney Australia in 2007 and will do so again in Prague in 2009

Little known fact about you: When I was nine I wanted to be a police officer. I think I’ve always liked rules.

Environmentally incorrect preference: Trash cans

Guilty pleasure: Frozen yogurt

Most embarrassing moment: My first OC1 time trial was really long because I took the scenic route.  Trying to steer AND paddle hard is a challenge.

Favorite thing to do when not working or working out: Playing board games, watching old movies.

Any funny moments to share? I’m not sure it’s funny, but one of the fun things about international racing is the trading of jerseys that tends to happen at some point.  When my regular team, Wasabi, was paddling in Penang last year, someone started trading shirts with a Malaysian team.  It became a flurry of Wasabi green swapping for Malaysian orange shirts with huge grins all around.  As long as you bring a spare to race in, it’s a great tradition.

Moment of Inspiration: One of the great things about paddling is that there are so many moments of inspiration.  So much of what we learn in the boat is transferable to life outside the boat.  For example, keep the paddle in the water when things get rough.  The boat’s more stable if you’re paddling.  You can’t control the outcome, only the process. Trust the process.  And that voice in your head is yours.  You decide if it’s positive or negative.

Favorite Quote: “There are no excuses only priorities.”

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• Monday through Saturday I do 75 minutes of cardio and weights in the mornings.
• Monday and Wednesday I’m at dragon boat practice for an hour and a half, and paddling a six-person outrigger canoe for an additional hour and a half.
• Saturday is a light paddling day of only an hour.
• Sunday is yoga.

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Iron Maiden

ironmaidenLiz McQuinn’s path to athletic glory began at age four. “I wanted to keep up with my Dad and brothers,” she says. “I did whatever they did, just so I could spend time with them.” She definitely kept up, and then some. Last June, she completed her third Ironman triathlon, a competition involving a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike race, and a 26-mile marathon…all without a break!

Just thinking about that might seem like exercise enough, but for Liz it’s “an invitation to dig deep and define yourself as an endurance athlete who disciplines herself to train to the point of exhaustion and keep going…spurred on by the goal to give all she is—mentally and physically.”

“Discipline” is key. For each Ironman, Liz spends six months training 9-16 hours per week. And that’s on top of forty-plus hours a week as a Navy Officer, volunteer work for her church and community, and a busy social and family life. “The hardest part is that it requires me to be disciplined about going to bed around 9:15, so I can get up at 5:15.” How does she pull it all off? It’s just a matter of “putting one foot in front of the other. There’s no magic formula or special talent required. I found a sport that I enjoy and a group of people with whom I love training.”

Speaking of love, Liz plans to take a year off from Ironman training to focus on another workout: “I consider my ‘Ironman’ for 2010 to be successfully navigating the first year of marriage!” Of course, marital success seems guaranteed for someone who always tries to give her best, “using my gifts to serve others in love, and encouraging people to live a life of joy and purpose.”

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Home: Austin, TX
Occupation: Navy Officer
Education: BS in Political Science from US Naval Academy; MA in Govt and Politics from University of MD
Partner: Chris Leonard, fiancé; getting married Oct 24th!!
Children: None
Age: 31
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 160 lbs
Sports, past and present: Everything. 🙂 Swimming, soccer, baseball as a kid; softball, basketball in junior high; volleyball, basketball, track in high school; track in college (thrower – discus, hammer, 20 lb weight); triathlon as an adult; recreational runner/swimmer my whole life.
Athletic accomplishments: Two-time VA AAA High School State Champion in volleyball; broke discus record at USNA as a freshman; three Ironman competitions.
What do you get out of your workout? Energy, clarity of thought, stress relief, strength to endure tough times, shared experiences with friends, goals to work toward and achieve.
Little known fact about you: I was a cheerleader in eighth grade—not what you’d expect out of a six-foot-tall tomboy. 🙂
Environmentally incorrect preference: American-made, gas guzzling, classic muscle cars.
Guilty pleasure: Spoonful of peanut butter from the stash in my desk drawer at work.
Most embarrassing moment: At age ten, forgetting the music I memorized in the middle of my piano recital; I had to make up the ending, and it was awful!
Greatest triumph: One of the sailors I worked with thanked me for believing in him, taking a chance on him, and encouraging him to strive for excellence. In two years, he went from troublemaker to the top sailor on the ship.
Favorite thing to do when not working or working out: Playing with my nieces and nephews.
Moment of Inspiration: Comprehending the strength it took for my grandmother to live as a widow for almost twenty years in the hill country of TX. During that time, she successfully beat cancer several times. The final time, it took her home to Jesus.
Favorite Quote: Sorry, it’s a long one by Theodore Roosevelt 🙂

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

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I have 2 schedules that I’ve alternated between the past three years; Ironman training lasts for 6 months prior to the race.
1)    Ironman: 9-16 hrs/wk (base, intensity build, taper, etc)
Mon – yoga 1hr in am; run 1 hr in pm
Tues – spin 1 hr in am; often short run immediately after spin (brick workout)
Wed – core strength training 1 hr in am; swim 1 hr in pm
Thur – spin 1 hr in am
Fri – swim 1 hr in am; sometimes run for .5-1 hr
Sat –3-7 hr ride depending on the schedule; sometimes run for 30-60 min immediately following ride (brick workout)
Sun – run 1.5 – 4 hrs depending on the schedule
2)    Non-Ironman: 7-9 hrs/wk
Mon – 1 hr swim at lunch or 1 hr run in pm
Tues – 1 hr spin in am; often short run immediately after spin (brick)
Wed – 1 hr core in am; 1 hr swim in pm or 1 hr run
Thurs – 1 hr spin in am if missed spin on Tues
Fri – 1 hr swim in am
Sat – 2-3 hr ride in am
Sun – 1-2 hr run

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