Poor Sandra is always on spotlight with me. She is such a trooper with me and her height jokes. She is the cutest little 4’11 person I ever seen. But, seriously she is just a gem. She is full of determination and watching her over the last year has given even me desire to do more. She has come so far; especially going from no burpees in the beginning to 400 in one night! She just never gives up! The funny thing is she has accomplished so much up to this point, I know she has so much more in store for herself (she may not know it yet, but you’ll see). Despite her true height, she is as tall as a mountain in her game! We’ll be spotlighting her again for sure.
Here is her story…
My journey began at the doctor’s office. I had went in for a follow-up appointment and did the usual check in routine of getting weighed and blood pressure check before being put into a room to wait for the doctor. This day however, the weigh in revealed that I was over 200 pounds. When the doctor came and we were discussing my health issues, specifically high blood pressure and sleep apnea, vertigo problems, etc. I began to cry, and told her I was reacting to being over 200 pounds. She suggested that I try a medical program that the doctor’s office provided. I took the pamphlet and went home. I decided to “try” to do it myself. I had been fit in the past and I figured I could find out a way to be fit again. A year later I ended up not making any real commitments and gaining additional weight. At 220 pounds I hired a personal trainer for 18 sessions, thinking that if I could get a routine in place I would be able to make a plan that worked for me. By the end of the sessions I was feeling better, but I still wasn’t committed to making permanent changes or setting goals.
Meeting Carrie changed my life. The whole environment of Get-A-Grip and everyone in it was a lifesaver. One thing that caught my attention is that I needed to stop “trying” and start “doing”. Once I committed to GAG classes, the next step was to set goals. My initial goals were to start a regular exercise program and to get off of my high blood pressure medicines. When November came I had been a GAG member for 2.5 months and I signed up for the “Hot for the Holidays” contest. The competition aspect helped me stay on target and at the end of the competition I was finally feeling like I could make positive changes in my life. During the planning stages of the contest Carrie told me to pick something that I really didn’t want to do as a motivator to stay on track. I chose running. I have never been a runner, and really don’t like running. What I found I do like is setting a challenge for myself and then doing it. This mindset is what has been keeping me motivated for just over a year. Making goals for myself and working hard to meet or exceed them! I have now completed three 5Ks, and completed two Spartan Challenges! A major milestone I achieved was getting off one of my high blood pressure medications. As an added bonus I went from a size 20 to a 16, lost 30 pounds and while I’m still on my journey, I have learned (with Carrie’s “help”) to celebrate all my successes and to look forward to many more!
Her Grandkids (family) are her life and she is planning on living much longer!
Congrats Sandra!!! SO proud of you!
