I began bowling when I was ten years old. I was never exceptionally good. I was above average, won a few tournaments, but that was it. Don’t get me wrong, I can still pick up a mean 6/7/10 split.

I began running in college to fill the void of being homesick. I wasn’t exceptionally good at running either, but unlike bowling I could go run when I wanted, where I wanted, how I wanted, for any time I wanted and even if other runners saw me they wouldn’t know me; my story. My running came to a halt when I was in an accident that would later result in nine knee surgeries, being told I’d never run again and over a decade of self-loathing and anger.

I was in denial. I told myself the walks I took my dogs on was exercise enough. I knew I was overweight. I knew I wasn’t happy. That’s where my knowledge ended. At random I joined a gym. The joining included meeting with a Personal Trainer for a free one hour session. It was free, I went.

I was scheduled with Kristine. We chatted for a few minutes prior to her leading me to an area where she had equipment set up for me to do some exercises. She had simple exercises such as step ups with weights for me. I had climbed two flights of stairs to meet with her so I surely would be able to do simple step ups with a weight in my hands. I did them. I didn’t do them well. I was winded after we were done.

Kristine and I sat and chatted more. She further asked questions about me, my history, and my goals. For record: I had no goals. Kristine also noted observations she made during my doing those few exercises. She made me cry. All of the lies I had been telling myself about my food and drink choices, my lack of activity; every single one of them she as a total stranger who had just met me, she told me.

That day changed me. As random as I joined a gym and as random as I began working out with Kristine my life changed. I began to consciously make better food and drink choices. I became regularly active. Kristine set me up with classes to attend, as well as a weekly session with her. Before I knew it I was losing weight and my clothes weren’t fitting. Exercises and weights I couldn’t use before were getting set aside for more difficult exercises and heavier weights. Above all I found the self-loathing and anger I had harbored for over a decade slip away.

With her encouragement of saying I could “totally do it” I signed up for an indoor triathlon in January of 2015. She was right, “I totally did it.”

That day also changed me.

I won’t say I was born to be a distance runner or triathlete, but I will say I’ve become both. I will also say that without Kristine’s guidance, motivation, knowledge I couldn’t and wouldn’t be where I am today. Working out and gaining strength is difficult. It isn’t easy and it doesn’t happen overnight or even over a week or month. Kristine’s encouragement and motivation is contagious. Her knowledge and ability to think outside of the box results in very few dull moments and never doing the same thing twice. Above all Kristine isn’t just a personal trainer she truly has your best interest not only at hand, but in her heart. She’s become a great friend, a true inspiration and even if my abs hate her some days, I know it’s all worth it.