I met Kate through the gym we both worked out at & I was immediately struck by her calm assuredness in the life she wanted to live. Her fitness goals at the time differed somewhat to mine & yet we shared a belief in fitness for life. Training an inner & outer strength for us, our loved ones & for the love of life. To me, Kate represents honesty, strength, self motivation, determination & positivity – all with a healthy dose of keeping-it-real. She encourages all around her to be their personal best whilst living this motto herself. I am truly grateful to Kate for her friendship & for sharing an insight into her motivation for prioritising health & fitness.
“What got me started on my fitness journey??? I’d never really been into the “fitness industry”. When I was in school I used to be a sprinter, 100 meters was my specialty. I used to remember my dad saying to me “Ill meet you at the finish line, look for me and run straight to me, don’t look back just run straight to me” lo and behold, there he was standing behind the finish line waiting for me and as soon as that gun went off I ran straight to him, I didn’t look back or around at the other runners, I just ran straight to my dad. After my dad passed away my mum then took that place, I would run to her. Mum witnessed me running at zone, regional and state athletics, she was always the mum screaming and cheering for me ‘GO KATE” Running soon became a thing of the past as I moved through high school and into Adult world…the memories though and how running made me feel still makes me smile. I still remember this one story my dad used to tell me of when he was a child. He would tell me “I used to run so fast that they would tie a rock to my back to try and slow me down”
Fast forward to October 2013….some 19 years later, I was then a mum of two beautiful children, a 2 year old and a 6 month old who kept me extremely busy (to say the least) At that time in my life my mother in law Pam was undergoing Chemo and we were told that the cancer was in her bones and that it had spread from her hips to her liver and the lining of her lung..things weren’t good. It was at that point that I read about women’s body building, in particular “Bikini Momma’s” I took the leap and registered myself to compete in the Bikini Momma’s division of the Canberra INBA in April 2014. I signed up to GOLDS GYM in Gungahlin where I would train 6 days a week, plus working full time and being a mum and wife, I seriously take my hat off to my supportive husband Brett who would juggle the kids and work with me…what a magic Team we are!!!
On the 16th of November 2013 surrounded by her family my amazingly strong, beautiful mother in law Pam passed away, cancer won this battle but not before a massively strong fight. She showed me what determination and inner strength was all about, she showed me to never give up on what you believe in. I still remember sitting in the kitchen with her and her saying to me “i’d really love to be able to walk out to the clothes line” It’s this very conversation that is drilled into my memory bank, it’s this exact memory that flickers in front of me when I’m hurting during training, or when I’m out running and one more 1km seems impossible….she couldn’t even walk into the backyard to her clothes line and here I am able to run a marathon. My body is strong, I have no illness, I’m able to walk, run, lift heavy weights…I HAVE NO EXCUSES!
On the 26th of April 2014 I stepped on stage at the Canberra INBA in the Bikini Momma’s division with 5 other strong and passionate mums. I dedicated that moment to Pam, I wasn’t nervous, I figured that I had worked too damn hard for that….You couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, I was so proud of myself and so was my husband, my kids, my mum and my two sisters who all jumped out of their seats and run up to the stage to cheer me on. My mum told me afterwards that she has never been so proud of me and seeing me up on that stage had brought her to tears…she also mentioned that my teeth looked so amazingly white!!!!!
After comp I struggled…BIG TIME, reverse dieting didn’t exist…I lost all motivation to eat “clean” I wasn’t looking after my body and I wasn’t providing the healthy nutrition to my family as I previously was. It took me a good 8 months to snap out of it but I finally got my head in a good space and started slowly getting back on track. Due to moving house in December 2014 I was no longer able to access a gym so I decided to take on a new challenge. In March 2015 I signed up for the “March Charge” I committed to running 100kms for the month of March and to raise money and awareness for the Cancer Council. It was at that point in my life that I fell in love with running. 1km became 3km which then became 5km, I honestly couldn’t believe that I was running this distance and surviving!!! One afternoon I set out for my run and decided to keep running, I successfully ran 10kms non stop! I signed up for the Mothers Day Classic here in Canberra with two of my friends and we ran, we ran for those who couldn’t, we ran for those who have been affected by cancer. These day’s I’m now running 15kms non stop, when I’m out running I have a million and one things running through my mind….when I’m struggling I tell myself to “never give up” to “Dig Deep” My aim is to register for the Half Marathon here in Canberra in October, I can and I will give this a real crack!
My theory in life is to live it to the fullest, every day isn’t always guaranteed. I lost my father when I was only 14 years old, I honestly don’t know what it’s like to have a dad. With loosing my dad came alot of “life losses” him being there for my “milestone” birthday’s, teaching me how to drive, walking me down the aisle when I married the love of my life, holding my kids for the very first time in the delivery room…all these things that a dad should experience with his daughter. In saying all of this I am extremely blessed to have an amazing mum who filled that spot. She taught not only myself but my other sisters and brothers how to drive, she walked me down the Aisle when I got married, she was there when my kids entered the world…she continues to fill mine and my families lives with love and support. I live my life for my two children and my husband, I don’t want to be taken from them at a young age, I choose to live my life packed with love, laughter, creating memories, beautiful foods to cleanse and fuel my body and regular exercise to excite my mind, body and soul. My husband and I also want to be great role models for our children, Introducing beautiful foods into their life and getting outdoors to stay active.
A beautiful friend of mine told me only the other week that she starts her day by admiring the sunrise….how simple, to admire the sunrise, to admire all that the universe has to offer. I now start my day watching the sunrise, I reflect on all that I have and how far I’ve come in life and how lucky I am to wake up every morning with good health.
Everyone has their own stories to tell, everyone is on this journey for their own personal reasons. Do what makes your soul happy, do what excites you.
Peace x”
