Bouncing Back and Charging Forward

Bouncing back. Moving forward. Getting on with my adventures after life threw some interesting challenges my way. On May 17th, I gave a presentation at the Ute & Yeti in Colorado Springs for UpaDowna’s Adventure on Tap Series.

 

When I was putting the talk together, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. But with the help of Michael Port’s Steal the Show, I pieced together a presentation of my story in the hopes to inspire others to keep doing what they love, even if it gets disrupted by a “life glitch.”

 

I was speaking to an audience of my friends, acquaintances, and people I’d never met. They learned a bit about my background and the path I took to get into endurance sports. Then I talked about the “challenge years” – the time period of 2013-2015 that was a bit rough. How would you handle a layoff, two hip surgeries, getting diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and a divorce in the span of a little over two years?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could be in a deep depression. But I chose to respond by doing what I could to get back to what I love, endurance sports. In this realm I have so many people to support me when I needed it.

 

[Tweet “Life challenges happen. Your response is your choice. -Coach Nicole”]

 

A week prior to giving this talk, I went to a presentation by my former TaeKwonDo instructor, Master Barb Kunkel, who has recently been through a battle with breast cancer. Her message was similar – “It’s not if, but when.” We are all going to have tough times thrown our way. How are you going to deal with them?

 

[Tweet ” We are all going to have tough times thrown our way. How are you going to deal with them? -Barb Kunkel”]

 

I always have been one to try new things just to give it a try if it sounded neat. I started TaeKwondo because a college roommate wanted to start and asked me to go with her to check out a martial arts school. (I think she lasted six months, I trained for decade and earned a 2nd degree black belt and certified instructor.) I got started in triathlon from a flyer in the mail from the Team In Training program and thought that it seemed cool to try and for a good cause. Look what I do now!

 

The “challenge years” reinforced that I need to keep doing things that I enjoy. So I will keep coaching, training, racing, and traveling to events to experience new things, and help others achieve things they think not possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tweet “Live for today with a healthy respect for the future.”]

 

 

The presentation was filmed so you can watch it below:

 

 

What are your greatest challenges? How do you bounce back? Please share in the comments below.