Roaring Strong

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Recently, I have been spending a lot of time with my mother and three sisters. Growing up, we were basically indifferent to each other. But as we get older, and watch our dad get sicker and sicker, we realize it is as good a time as any to become the best of friends. Watching Sex and the City with them, it occurred to me that women support each other in a truly unique way – like no other being can. No one is as understanding as a close friend; she will tell you the truth and keep you accountable, with a free, easy spirit.

Many women have found a love of exercising and attach it to friendship, companionship and socializing. This is a winning solution. Women become cheerleaders and workout partners for each other. Some simply won’t even work out unless they have their “sisters” with them.

In fitness and in life, women are accomplishing a lot – and I’m pointing to Dara Torres, the 41-year-old woman who won the Olympic swimming qualifier for the 100-meter freestyle. What a hot mama! Go on with yourself, girl! We also cannot talk about women’s accomplishments without pointing out that we were a breath away from having our first female presidential candidate this year. Of course, it is impossible to do alone.

The things women can accomplish individually are great, but what we can do together is phenomenal. Remember the pride and excitement the country felt during the 1988 Olympics when Mary Lou Retton and the U.S. gymnastics team were achieving perfect scores and taking home all the medals? Or how about in 2004, when the U.S. Women’s Olympic Soccer Team took home a gold with Mia Hamm? Mia has since created the Mia Hamm Foundation, supporting bone marrow research and women’s sports programs.

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure (Race for the Cure) Foundation raises millions of dollars every year to support efforts towards curing breast cancer at every stage, and holds highly successful events all over the country. October 4 is the Houston event downtown.

Women-only training programs provide a fun, safe, wonderful environment for women to train and excel in fitness. Just to name a few: Tough Cookies, Team Survivor Austin, Adventure Boot Camps for women, See Mommy Run, and many more.

The fitness community is full of wonderfully amazing, supportive people. We are sometimes secretly – but most of the time loudly – cheering for each other, and cultivating strong relationships. Which, of course, is what life is about. These good friends are the family we create.

Sports and fitness is a perfect breeding ground for sustaining lasting bonds. I watch members in my cycling classes and on the race course every day achieve fitness goals they may not ever achieve alone, with passion, heart and intensity. Training, races and gyms are great places to create lasting friendships built on the strong foundation of a common love for fitness.
See ya at the races or in the gym!

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