What’s your story?
Maybe you came to sport late.
You found it in the gym or the studio.
Maybe you discovered it early, on a court or a course.
Maybe it’s walking, maybe it’s running, maybe it’s dance or yoga or swimming or hiking. Maybe you found your sport when you saw your daughter transformed by that first athletic success and knew that your own transformation was out there waiting for you. Maybe you found it on your way to something else—a kid’s practice, a healthier life, a friend’s race. But no matter where each of our sports stories begins, we all end up at the same place, a place where we are becoming our own best selves.
Tell us your story!
Founder, Missy Park
Like so many other women out there I am a mom, a wife and an athlete. I am lucky enough to be a stay at home mom in one sense but then often find it difficult to fit in “me time”. The day I found out I was pregnant with my 2nd child I quit smoking. I breastfed him for almost a year after knowing that I would never smoke again. To lose the baby weight I started to run. I ran to get away from the kids, I ran to get away from my husband, so I could think just be with my thoughts, just my feelings, just my own mind for my own time, my own insanity. Then my husband did a sprint triathlon. The entire time I kept thinking “I can do this”. Now just 2.5 years later I have done several sprint and 70.3 Half Ironman distance triathlons. I am not only a mom, a wife, but a triathlete. I love this life and with the help & support of my family hope to continue being an active participant in this lifestyle. And thank you Title 9 for making it happen in so many ways too!! Rock on!!
After the birth of our third daughter in the midst of a particularly exciting time in the growth of my coastal cottage furniture company, I took a moment (literally) to take stock of my health and fitness. I wasn’t happy with what I saw and how I felt. And I realized that the time I had spent nurturing both my business and my family had taken its toll on my body. Something had to change – and I approached it as I would approach any challenge in my business life – I created a business plan for the success of my health.
The first step for me was to hire a nutritionist, who put me on a wellness eating plan. I also joined a local health club and enrolled in boot camp, under the command of an instructor who I knew would hold me accountable for missing classes 🙂 And finally, after a year of getting up at the crack of dawn to work out and over 50 lbs lost, I took on the additional challenge of training for a local ten mile race. With only a few weeks left before the race, I feel better than I have in years. I have more energy, more stamina, and happily, even more motivation to keep all of the proverbial balls of my life in the air – family, business and health.
I am a devoted Title Nine customer, and a huge fan of your products! But most of all, I am happy to now refer to myself as an athlete!
I am a 34yr old Type I insulin dependent diabetic in FL. I have 2 beautiful boys & of course a great husband. I had never ventured much past yard sports as a kid or the occasional walk – nothing routine. About 3 years ago it was growing harder to control my disease so I started doing aerobics. A friend of mine invited me to try running with her last Dec 2008. By March 2009 I had finished my first 5k and 10k. I am now in training for my first Sprint Marathon in October, and have found loads of help from a physician in the Philadelphia area. It takes a great deal of effort to be determined to stay fit and stay on top of my disease as you can run one without taking the other into consideration too. I am happily healthy & enjoying this new endeavor in my life!
People ask me why I’ve gone to such an extreme all of a sudden…all I can say is that it makes me feel GREAT to accomplish such things, and on top of it, do it with Diabetes!
I have never done sports in my life unless I had to… by the time I got married at 20 I was over 200 lbs, 2 kids, lots of potatoe chips and 22years later I woke up and changed my life, I weighed in at 345 lbs at age,42, I started water aerobics and changed my eating habits, after a while as the weight came off I started walking, then I joined a rowing team and rowed in a shell ( I didnt even know this sport existed!) then I started snowshoeing and hiking with a local group and I love it I have found my niche! I love the challenge and have even been to camp muir on mt ranier! 10 years ago i couldnt even get up my driveway! no I’m not the skinniest I could be but Im healthier than ever!170 lbs weight lossed kept off for 5 years, now Im learning how to kyak, I dont know whats next but the skys the limit!
After gaining 40lbs. when I was 20, I was struggling with my self-esteem & with having the motivation to change. I went on a blind date to a yoga class and although the blind date didn’t go anywhere, the Yoga did. Here we are 11 years later, 40lbs. lighter and happier than ever!! I have been teaching yoga for the last 10 of those years and am a better person for it. My motivation then has also pushed me into running, rock climbing and backpacking!! I’m hoping to learn surfing this fall…. and from there….who knows?!!?
I have been athletic all my life. I know that is where I get my energy. Energy that if I could sell it I would be rich! Cross Country, Swimming and Track in High School. Swimming and Crew in college. I have been running daily year around since I was 14, after my gym teacher told my Mom that I should look into running. That is all it took, someone seeing potential in me. In 2000 I met a guy who’s energy was contagious. He had created a 3 day kayak regatta (15 miles per day) around Penobscot Bay Maine. All the $$ we raised went to help under privileged kids and would buy kayaks and gear so they could attend summer camp at no charge. I loved the idea and raising the $ for such a great cause was easy. I had never kayaked before but took on the attitude that I could swim it! Day one was scary, my kayak was so tippy that I thought that I would definitely flip and look like a fool, but found that as long as I was moving I was OK. At the end of day one we got into some bouncy seas with some challenges but I made it! My hands were already torn open from gripping my paddle so tight but all was good. Day two we were greeted with fog, another challenge but nothing compared to the amount of time in the kayak without a pee break! Everyone was peeing in their kayaks! I refused and later got an award for not peeing in my kayak! Now that is something to be proud of!!! Day three we had waves and rain. 50% of the participants bailed and jumped on the support boat. I stuck it out with pure determination and focus. When my bow hit the shore back in Castile I announced that I was buying a kayak! And Santa brought me one for Christmas. Since then I have kayaked Ireland, Alaska, the Rock Island of Palau (a 21 day solo!), and Lake Powell. I live in Maine and paddle a portion of our amazing coast line for a week every year and just love it! I have become certified as a Maine Guide, but my living is the best part. I paint charts of the coast in bold splashy colors. I am living the dream! I travel to amazing places, explore them by kayak and come home and paint them. Common’ does it get any better than that!?! Live your live, love what you do! P.S. My other dream is to appear in your catalog! 😉
Sports have been part of my life since I was a little girl. I grew up in a family of seven children, five of whom were boys. When we were little, we’d play wiffle ball in the backyard and race in the swimming pool. I wanted badly to keep up with my brothers! I played every sport I could manage during high school. Then, I played varsity field hockey in college in a time when women’s sports, sadly, didn’t matter much (1969-1973). After college, I played competitive soft ball, went back to college for a second degree and masters in physical therapy, along the way playing water polo, intramural competitive coed soft ball,and lacrosse. (Our lacrosse team was the first women’s team in California!) In 1983 I got married, had two boys, and didn’t have much time for team sports anymore. But my love for fitness didn’t dwindle. My husband, also a PT, and I built a home gym so that we could both continue to stay in shape. Between the birth of my two boys, I got talked into swimming on a junior college swim team – being on a swim team had been a life’s ambition for me since my parents never let me compete as a little girl. I became a pretty good swimmer, swam masters for awhile and I continue to swim on a regular basis. About 11 years ago, a girlfriend convinced me to take tennis lessons with her. Until then, I’d only been a spectator of this incredible sport. But, I got hooked! I’ve been playing ever since on a number of teams (along with swimming and working out), and I think I’m doing pretty well for being just days short of my 58th birthday. Tennis has been a tremendous physical and emotional strength builder and also a great way to meet a lot of fun, like-minded people.
My new found sport is boot camp fitness. I found it at my town Parks and Recreation and was trying to fit in working out. I am a 46 year old working mother of a four year old and this past year was feeling run down and could not figure out why. My background was fitness, but since having my son only would run a few times a week when it was feasible. Also was having a hard time losing weight. This past January joined boot camp and also did natural hormone therapy. I have now discovered my new (or old) body again with new beautiful muscles shining through. I have just finished my second session with boot camp and do not see myself ever not doing it. The hormone therapy has brought back my energy and I feel young and fresh again.
Occupation: Product Marketer and Mom of 2 1/2 year old son.
Hobbies: Ice Hockey, Snowboarding, Surfing, Mtn. Biking and I just completed my first Triathlon and I think I’m hooked – Not bad for a 38 year old.
Personal Story: Growing up as a kid we didn’t have a lot of money so I didn’t get to play team sports until High School. I did surf, ride my skateboard, and ride my bike. As I got older I really started leading more of a healthy and active lifestyle. I enjoy other activities like hiking and fly fishing. The most significant contribution in my life has been playing Ice Hockey with some pretty incredible women. These women have become dear friends and wonderful sisters. I hope I can still play hockey and participate in all my other favorite sports when I’m 90 years old.
Keep smiling and never stop moving –
Janene
I was in high school when Title IX took effect. The school created a girls’ swim team and I joined along with my friends. I’ve been a swimmer ever since. Sometimes I stop swimming for a while, but when I return I always fall in love with it all over again. Recently I started swimming since stopping about 2 years ago and I feel like I’m stronger than ever before. Now the store “Title Nine” has a special place in my heart because it triggers happy high school memories and encourages me to stay fit!