Arise energetic and confident in your own skin

“A good coach can change a game; a great coach can change a life.” – John Wooden

Just like Coach Wooden, Kate wants her athletes to know that victories are more than a number on a scoreboard (scale, dumbbell weight, race time, etc.) Victories can include learning a new skill, trying different foods to boost your metabolism and making new friends to help you accomplish your goals.

I have been training with Kate just over 3 years. My prior workouts were 4 – 6-mile runs or random workouts with friends. I wanted to be more consistent, but I didn’t really hold myself accountable. I could easily talk myself out of a workout and needed more discipline.

A friend of mine encouraged me to try this workout group and connected me with Kate. I was timid as she explained her program. Change and I are not the best of friends; I felt like this was going to be a big change.

To my surprise, I dove right in. I committed to a year of her training before even attending the first session!

My life has changed greatly since that late December evening. I am physically, mentally and emotionally stronger (many times not all three at once! Hey! I’m trying though!) I am more willing to accept challenges. I actually want challenges that are more physical. Additionally I speak up in my professional meetings. I am gaining greater confidence as I agree to participate in leadership roles at work. I feel that I am better equipped to contribute in difficult conversations. I still prefer to listen; however, I speak more than I used to.

One of Kate’s training assignments has profoundly challenged me. Risking great vulnerability . . . Kate offered a daily reflection exercise. “Look in the mirror and say aloud how much you appreciate everything you accomplished during the day.” I am better able to hold eye contact with others because of this practice. There, I said it . . .

I don’t think I went into the training with set goals in mind. Kate changed that rather quickly. I don’t have to be practicing for a marathon or Spartan race. Kate just wants me to aim for a target. She points it out in the workouts, “What’s your why?” or “Remember why you are here today.”

Kate communicates in a variety of ways: email, text, snail mail notes, social media and phone chats. She provides pertinent information and encouragement. She checks in on how my goals are progressing and offers ways to step it up if I’m stuck.

Kate’s training extends beyond the fitness discipline into the total person. Having goals means a lot more to me now. I feel more engaged. I have had to overcome several obstacles while attempting to meet the mark. Some of my challenges include knee surgery, breast cancer, dealing with teaching during the pandemic and not seeing my family as often as I need. When faced with setbacks, Kate helped me adjust some of my goals to accomplish them.

I also learned that it’s okay to abandon a goal sometimes without feeling like a failure. Kate was supportive during all of these decisions. She helped me celebrate victories both big and small! When I stopped overthinking one particular goal, I actually met it!

My greatest achievements through Kate’s training have been overall progress and perseverance. I have improved my strength training by periodically increasing my weights. My refusal to give up builds my mental and physical endurance. While my mental toughness continues to improve, it can also be difficult for me. I ran cross-country in college and struggled with early morning runs. It was hard for me to get “my head in the game.” When I learned that my friend wanted me to train at 6:15am, I knew that was going to be a challenge for me. I was fine once it was over, but getting there was hard! Now I work out every morning and actually feel that something is “not right” if I haven’t started by 9am.

I would like new athletes to know that training with Kate will change your life. Be open and be ready. There are bumps and even mountains along the way. It’s all worth it though. Just commit to the process now so that you will have more time to enjoy the benefits