Olympic Flexibility

Journey to London 2012 Olympic Games 

 

It's been a LONG while since I last Blogged. One day I just realized that sitting in front of the computer more was not a goal of mine. And that writing is not one of my greatest strengths. 

An important part of happiness and success in life is doing what you love and what you're good at, which are often one in the same... This leads me to my friend, client and TEAM USA Olympic Athlete Suzanne Stettinius (pictured above right at a Spinning and Yoga fundraising event I hosted for her a few weeks ago). This girl knows what her gifts are and she is turning them into an Olympic dream. 

Suzanne is the reason I'm picking my blog back up for a few weeks. She is also the reason I get the huge honor and privilege to attend the 2012 Summer Olympics in London!

Few things inspire me more than Olympic athletes following their dreams, testing their limits with dedication and discipline and representing their country with pride. Watching even an Olympic commercial on TV makes me feel like I want to do more and be more. I can't imagine how I'll feel when I see it live! It's a refreshing reminder that nothing worth having comes easy, but with hard work and sacrifice we all have a chance at making a dream come true. 

Suzanne Stettinius is no exception to that inspirational Olympic spirit. I read about her hopes for the 2012 summer games in the local paper last summer. Her story moved me and I instantly wanted to help her with flexibility and recovery, the one thing most athletes aren't naturally good at or don't take the time to practice on their own, yet it can make a huge improvement in performance. 

In sports and life, its essential to focus on developing our gifts, yet its also important to practice what we're not good at (like me sitting down struggling to write). This is how we create balance in our bodies, brains and lives, grow and broaden our horizons and increase our potential. 

I've been stretching, mashing and practicing a little yoga with Suzanne 2 - 3 times a week for a year (more about her flexibility and recovery routine next week). We were instant friends despite a 20 year age gap. She has the kind of raw, real energy that lights up a room and is a pleasure to be around. She knows how to have a lot of fun but she also has a work ethic that sets her apart and gets her places. Her fearlessness and laugh are both contagious. The has a star quality yet is so down to earth. You want to cheer her on!

Suzanne trains for five sports.  She has a swimming coach (Jeff Hiestand), a running coach (Thomas P Bernier) and a fencing coach (Damien Lehfeldt), all of which are key players in her success and have donated their time to help her get to where she is. In addition, she did cross training, strength and conditioning with Patrick Hedge and Tim Bishop at Performfit. 

As her "flexibility coach" I can say that donating my time to support Suzanne's Olympic journey has been rewarding in all the ways that matter most in life. And the fact that I now get to cheer her on in London is just unbelievable. It's yet another time in life that reinforces my belief in Karma. 

All of us coaches, along with Suzanne's family appreciate any contribution you can make to support her Olympic Fund. I am personally offering any Flexible Warrior DVD of your choice with a $25 donation (just forward your donation receipt to me via email to karen@flexiblewarrior.com). I will cover the shipping. To pick a video, visit www.flexiblewarrior.com 100% of your donation will go to Suzanne's Olympic Fund.

To read more about Suzanne or to donate to her Olympic Fundraiser visit:

www.suzanne.mintmeadows.com