Fertility, Strength, & Fitness – International Women’s Day with my Client Hannah!

March 8, 2020 -
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Hi my friends & Happy International Women’s Day!

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Photography: @the.photographygirls

My friends at adidas and I are celebrating ALL women today and every day. I just so happen to personally have some AMAZING ladies in my life who inspire me daily in and out of the gym.

With being a trainer, you’ll learn that fitness is way more than just workouts and wanting to look a certain way. Clients may come to me with that initial goal, but we soon realize that there is something so much deeper and greater to be found through their journey.

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Now, I could talk about ALL of my amazing clients who inspire me daily and I would totally do a post on all of them but my girl Hannah has quite the inspiring story of embracing fitness through her fertility struggles and I KNEW she could inspire people by sharing it.

Often in the fitness space, we don’t always hear about fertility struggles. It’s something that people hold close to them and I totally respect that. Hannah has spent a long time holding it close to her but felt that if she shared how fitness has helped her power through this phase of her life, she could help someone out there who feels alone in their struggles.

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I mean, she just glows as she is rocking her adidas Badge of Sport Tank Top with the tie dye detail! She felt so comfortable and looked like a boss, per usual. I was loving this red Tank for a pop of color.

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Hannah and I go wayyyy back to the Glow Retreat days where she decided to come and be a part of our weekend years ago. I remember meeting Hannah and the calm and warm presence that she has when you’re around her. You just feel safe.

During that Retreat weekend, myself & Heather really connected (with everyone!) with Hannah and once I moved to Rhode Island, she reached out to me about personal training for he and her amazing husband, Joe.

We started training together years ago at a local basketball court in a nearby park where we would lift and use the basketball court for some cardio drills. Her and her husband just bring this amazing light of energy with them wherever they go and our friendship just grew.

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She’s now been training with me since those days and sees me about 3-5 times per week whether it’s in group training, group fitness classes, or my Saturday morning bootcamp where her and her husband (shout out to JOE! You are a true gem) are regulars.

I want to let Hannah share her story because it will TRULY change someone’s life out there who is reading this, but I also want to share what truly inspires me about Hannah.

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I think I resonate with people who have been through something hard and deep but yet keep showing up.

She keeps showing up. 

She never lets hard things stop her completely. She pushes through and shows up for herself and others in such a kind and gentle way with a side of humor, which I love.

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She has a very motherly vibe about her which I think makes everyone around Hannah feel so comfortable being themselves. 

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Plus SHE IS STRONG AS HECK and it’s been so fun to watch her tap into that side of herself with weight training. I’m talking like this girl can box squat over 225lbs and make it look EASY.

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On International Women’s Day today, my amazing client & friend Hannah is sharing her story about how fitness has powered her through some of the darkest times with infertility.

According to the CDC, about 12% or ~6 million women in the US up to age 44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant.

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This isn’t something easily discussed by most people & I’m so thankful that Hannah is so brave for sharing her story to not only open up (which is therapeutic & scary at the same time) but hopefully help someone out there who may be reading this and is personally struggling, knows someone who is struggling, or can simply hold space for those that are struggling.

Now I’ll let Hannah inspire you all below where I’ve asked her some questions and wanted to give her a platform to share her story with you all.

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1) How long have you been working with
Kasey & what made you want to start
with a personal trainer?

I first met Kasey in 2015 when I attended her weekend GLOW retreat and pretty much decided then and there that I wanted to work with her. Shortly after, my husband and I started training on Sunday mornings up until Kasey moved to California.

We started training together again in 2018 and have been going strong since!

Our intention with personal training was to get in shape, lose weight, and prepare our bodies to (hopefully) start a family soon. Little did we know that for us, starting a family would be more of a marathon than a sprint, and that training with Kasey would become such an integral part of our journey.   

2) What does strength mean to you?

Strength means so much more to me than how long you can hold a plank, how much weight you can lift, or how many miles you can run.

Strength can be “loud” when you PR a box squat, rope slam for 60 seconds straight, or push a sled stacked high with weight plates, and it can also be “quiet” in the moments where you consistently show up to workout through exceedingly difficult circumstances.

It’s the moments where you really don’t “feel like it”, but your grit, resilience and determination support you in showing up anyways.        

3) Talk about an improvement
you’ve seen in yourself while being on this journey?

For many women with fertility struggles, we blame our bodies for being bad or defective, or not working the way she “should”.

We tend to focus on how she’s letting us down; It’s easy to feel inferior, weak or broken.

Training consistently and gaining physical strength has not only changed my body, it has gifted me the ability to move through challenging mental and emotional obstacles along my journey.

I now see my body for what it CAN do, and the strength and capability she has to continue improving.

Training with Kasey has supported me to move through miscarraige, unsuccessful fertility treatments, grief and uncertainty while allowing joy and ease to exist simultaneously.

Movement truly allows our lives to flow, even through the most challenging times. 

4) What’s your biggest tip to anyone
out there looking for some motivation
or having trouble pushing through?

TRUST THE PROCESS – there is SO much magic and joy to be found along the way! Many people (myself included) start working out to look a certain way, to shrink their bodies to fit a certain mold, or to see a certain number on the scale, but this can only take us so far.

We learn so much about our spirit, our resilience and grit, and how we respond to challenges along the way.

Our mind often plays tricks on us, but we are SO much stronger than we think! Show up for yourself, and remember that “success” isn’t linear! 

 5) What’s your favorite exercise & why?

I absolutely LOVE box squats, ropes and med ball slams- I couldn’t pick just one! All of these make me feel like a unicorn ninja badass who is capable of conquering the world!  

6) What’s your go-to quick snack?

Anything with peanut butter- apple, banana…a spoon!

7) What does Be True To You mean to you?

“Be True To You” means showing up fully as ALL parts of myself, especially the parts that I want to hold back. I have hidden most of my journey for fear of shame, stigma and judgement, but true connection only happens through vulnerability, and if I neglect my own journey, I also reject the possibility of connection, support, and to help others feel less alone.

Brené Brown nailed it when she said, “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do”.

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That’s the thing people….even in hard times WE KEEP SHOWING UP.

We listen to her body.

Some days we need to go lighter in a 1:1 session & other days she’s in my small group class squatting like a champ.

But through it all, she keeps showing up because her determination & grit carry her through hard times.

We celebrate all women every day because our stories are all so unique & we can help each other because of the differences.

I hope you’ll take the time to read my post today to hear Hannah’s story & I also hope that whoever is meant to get something out of it, does. <3

Thank you so much Hannah for being so open & sharing your story. You are a light and I’m so blessed to be your friend.

Be true to you,

xo Kasey

 

This post is sponsored by adidas but as always, all opinions are my own.