Let me first start off by saying that I am an amateur in this field and like most,  I am not an expert in the field of nutrition, weight -lifting, established writer or any type of know-it all fitness guru. I’m not going to try to sell you the latest and greatest ways to get the best shape of your life in some quick and easy salesman monologue.  Nevertheless, I wouldn’t say I’m an average “Joe” when it comes to exercising and motivation.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself before I talk about working-out. I guess you could say that I’ve been working out my whole life in one aspect or another. My mom says that I started walking on my toes as a child and hence, put me in ballet class as soon as I turned age 5.  Horse-back-riding followed in elementary school, along with motivation that came from an exuberant physical education teacher, Mr. P.,   at Eastport Elementary School. Mr P. taught us everything our young absorbent minds could learn about fitness and sports. The competitive edge was both taught and instinctual…as I was never the first-picked athlete in the kick-ball line but I also was never the last.

Fast-forward to Annapolis Senior High School where I walked on to field hockey try-outs just because (I’m not proud of this now) I could see a lot of pretty unathletic girls my age that I thought I could definitely run past given the chance. Isn’t that the first step in true motivation? Thinking that there is some possibility in believing that you can do it.  This motivation was nurtured per say, by an inspiring coach freshman year (Coach Brew) who would never allow me to take time outs–even when I begged for mercy on the sidelines–because she would say, “We need you to stay in this Game, Carswell.”

The true message I heard was: stay accountable, there is no one to replace you on this team… the true goal is bigger than you are… and I’m not going to let you quit now.  Years of good coaching followed with Coach Jennifer which lead to accolades of Best Defensive Player, MVP, All-County, and a trip to Future Olympics every year… all the while continuing to Ballet at a local dance center and then Maryland Hall.

While I’m a dancer at heart, I continued to play field hockey because I believed that I could continue to play in college. This belief led me to Division I  NCAA with a partial scholarship.

In college there were more good coaches that believed in me both on and off the field. Each coach having true experience in the sport and screaming my last name when I was pleading to stop or not give my best.  People like Coach Woods, Coach Ben, and Coach Larry only expected that I could do it, if I put in the effort. My field hockey days ended with a serious knee injury–ACL reconstructive surgery my junior year which did not allow me to return my last year of college. My knee injury lead to a funk that would last almost two years…before I “re-emerged” with a full recovery not only from my injury but also from a chapter in my life in a competitive arena where I was forced to be my own motivation to stay in -shape….maybe not in Athlete Shape, but some kind of shape.

But the voices of the the encouraging people in my life are still that in my head when I have every excuse to not go to the gym, not do the last couple of reps in a set, not lift the weight that I could, or jump off the treadmill….because the negative thoughts will re-emerge just like they always have – “I need a break!” ” I can’t go on…anymore..this is crazy…and Why should I do this when I am so very tired?” The negative thoughts are endless….but so are the possibilities to stop them. Real motivation comes from making a list of the important things that will keep you going even when you are working full time…not getting enough sleep…and having too many responsibilities to make keeping in shape a priority in your life.

I hit another wall in my life about seven years ago when I was diagnosed with SLE (LUPUS). Motivation to get better was near impossible when I would have flare ups….I could list for you the many symptoms, medications, and so forth….but see, that doesn’t motivate anyone. Let’s just say that it has pretty much affected me in every aspect of my being.  But I am a fighter and that is the motivation to keep me going to the gym…that the underdog can steal the show if only given the right opportunity….the right support…the people in my life that will not allow me to give up even when I’m begging and pleading that working out when I am exhausted is the last thing to do on my mind 98% of the time.

It’s about accountability…it’s about the endless possibility to become the person that were created to be….it’s about having people in your life that are calling you out when you are trying to walk away from the bigger goal of health.

I am creating this blog for those people who need help to become the champions in their fitness goals…whether it be your new year’s resolution or your goal that has yet to come to fruition.

I am here to tell you that I am an underdog…that will not give up on you…nor will I let you give up on yourself…even when your motivation is slim to none…I’ll scream your name from the sidelines and remind you that you can achieve your goals….one belief at a time.

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.