The Man, The Legion And The Building. Forever Changed. Thank You Jack LaLanne

I wanted so badly to be a part of something when I was growing up.

I joined sports teams, only to be side-lined.

I went to sleep-away camp with my cousins, only to be exiled to the nurse’s station cabin instead of the camper cabins with all the other kids.

My severe asthma felt like this impenetrable barrier, always keeping me on the outside of everything I wanted to participate in.

The sidelines seemed to be where I would live my life.

I felt alone.

I was 16 years old and so angry and deeply frustrated.

Looking for some kind of release, I'd spent years punching swiss cheese holes into my bedroom walls and getting into it with my Dad.

I needed something to drain my anger and my energy.

It just so happened that the Jack Lalanne Gym was about a 10 minute walk from my house.

I decided it was the perfect place to start my self-imposed anger management training.

Jack Lalanne famously stated:

“Anything in life is possible IF you make it happen.”

So I decided to make joining the gym happen.

I immediately hit a few hurdles.

Hurdle #1: I was only 16, so I needed my parent consent.

That one was the easy one— they enthusiastically embraced anything that might lower the decibel level of my yelling and their monthly sheet-rock repair costs.

Hurdle #2: the gym was big and intimidating…and de facto segregated by gender.

When you walked in, there was the “women’s section.”

It was full of various kinds of machines and a track.

To get to the free weights, or what was considered the “men’s section,” you had walk down the stairs.

I was immediately drawn to the metal plates all lined up, the leg press machines, the squat racks— all of it.

I wanted to do this.

I remember slowly walking down the stairs into this room full of metal and men.

Lots of men, not a woman in sight.

What was I doing in here?

I had no idea what I was doing.

I was intimidated and overwhelmed, but I knew I wanted this.

Some people were very helpful and wanted to teach me.

Others just stared at me.

As different men (because, let me remind you, there were no other women in this area!) tried to help me, I got increasingly confused.

They all had different, often conflicting, advice.

I couldn’t tell who was right.

I wasn’t sure what I should be doing.

I suspected that this could be the answer to feeling better and dealing with my asthma without medication (I shared a little about my accidental chemical overdose in me email newsletter earlier this month).

I was determined to figure it out.

I read and I learned.

Then I read and learned some more.

I put what I was learning into practice and began to trust myself in that room full of men and advice.

At 17, I was able to drive myself to the gym and began getting in my lifts before school.

That love of morning lifting has never left me and it’s still the only way I like to start my day.

It makes me feel good, strong, and accomplished all before the sun rises.

When I start my mornings training, I’m able to tackle my days with more confidence, drive, and energy.

As you know if you’ve ever read my story before, I went on to become a personal trainer not long after that, then went to college for corporate fitness.

In the years since, I’ve become certified in multiple types of yoga instruction and continue to educate myself in all forms of wellness every day.

I’ve run marathons and completed obstacle course races and lived asthma-free for decades.

I haven’t felt side-lined or alone in years.

Jack LaLanne was one of the first great role model for this young girl just starting on her own wellness journey.

I’m so grateful for that gym, for the hours spent listening to the clank of metal on metal and grunts of effort from the men (and eventually a few women!) who became my peers in that space.

For a place to learn to trust myself, my judgment, and my body.

If you’re reading this, you’re likely either on your path or ready to start your own wellness journey.

Either way know I’m up early, working out, and cheering you on.

Together we are always stronger.

Move your body daily— both your body and your mind will thank you for it.