A Life of Purpose

“My sport taught me what I could do with my talents, whether in the rink or in the rest of my life.” –Peggy Fleming

As I watched Olympic women’s figure skating my eyes were also scanning for my friend (Peggy) in the stands. I’m reminded, yet again, of how blessed I am to have had wonderful mentors in my life.  All of them, with their own talents and specialties, have taught me different perspectives on life.  They’ve each done so in unique ways and with different actions.  It’s not every day that you get to learn from someone like Peggy.  I don’t mean that because of the obvious reasons most would think.  Learning from Peggy has nothing to do with her Olympic gold and legacy….ok…maybe that gains her a little extra credibility. She has been on a stage that most will never experience, but it’s her real life and the way she lived it that taught me yet again what matters in the time we have.  From day one, Peggy’s presence had a profound effect on me. (Here Peggy took me to an event in LA that she hosted with Sharon Osborne for ABC.  It was called Frosted Pink for Breast Canter survivors–I got to watch them rehearse in their trailer together!)

I remember when Mark, our trainer, first told me he worked with Peggy.  At the time I was 16 and didn’t really know much about her.  Obviously I didn’t grow up in the generation when Peggy became a star.  But, my goal was to win Olympic gold and so when I heard she did I knew she must be a stud.  And a stud she is!  Just read this article and it lets you know that age is just a number…if you make it that way.

An incredibly interesting aspect about people is the way they go about determining what it means to be successful.  Today we honor athletes who win, get the gold, or are just born with a gift and talent that sets them apart in their sport.  I definitely appreciate this on a deeper level because I know what it takes to be an athlete.  I know what it means to want that gold so bad that you can’t escape the vision and feeling in your soul daily.  I admire sports and those who have taken the lengths to achieve their dream and goals in athletics.  When I first met Peggy I was excited to meet an Olympic champion.  It speaks volumes someone can dedicate their life on that level and be consistent.  But for me, it says even more when you know how to prioritize your sport and your life.  Peggy is a good example of this because she is a very well rounded individual.  She was extremely dedicated to her sport and put herself in a position to accomplish unreal feats.  But, she also puts her husband, kids, and grandkids on the same level.  She could have just focused on herself and her career her whole life…but the Peggy I got to know has more to come home to than just an Olympic medal.  She is a role model in her community and has a huge heart to help.  Peggy says, “I think exercise tests us in so many ways, our skills, our hearts, our ability to bounce back after setbacks.  This is the inner beauty of sports and competition, and it can serve us all as adult athletes.”

As I grew older and got to know Peggy more …it wasn’t her Olympic medal that left an impression on me and made me call her a mentor and role model. It wasn’t even all her accolades in skating and broadcasting– it was the way she handled her life and maintained balance throughout.

Success can’t just be determined by the medals you win, the money you make, or the image a sport has given you.  I admire athletes and what they put themselves through to be the best at their sport.  But even more than that I admire character.  For some it might be natural to be good at a sport…but who are you at the end of the day when you aren’t competing anymore?  Who are you as a human being?  Your purpose can be to be the best in a sport and yet to also give back to this world what it has given you.  If more people cared about the roles they played and what kind of example they set…I know in my heart this world would be a different place.  Do you aspire to just do athletics and live on a material level? Or can you do it all like Peggy and be the best at your sport or goals….and still be an example of good character and someone who lives a life of purpose.

Peggy says, “ My sport taught me what I could do with my talents, whether in the rink or in the rest of my life.”  This is so true….a sport shouldn’t define you, but teach you about what you can do in those moments…and the moments you can set up for the rest of your life.

Missing Training!!!

Four ingredients needed to get through life successfully:

1-Spontanetiy

2- Flexibility

3-Support System

4-Mind Set

 

Today the Tampa Tribune featured a fun article on the workout program that JP, myself and Peggy Fleming all shared these past few months!  The article reminded me of how much I miss the training schedule from this past off -season!  (You don’t know what you have until it’s gone!) Since we moved back to Florida I have struggled to train because of how good I had it this past winter and it’s just not the same when you are doing it alone!  I have been fortunate to always have my trainer Mark Fredrick who’s helped me through many stages of my career.  Mark was my strength and conditioning coach in high school. He helped me become a National champion and All American in the 800 meters, which took me to USC.  After I broke my back Mark was also there to help push me back into the gym!  It was tough for me because I had always been in great track shape and after breaking my back I wasn’t able to do any sort of exercise for a year.

It’s cool for me now to look back on my life and see all of the ups and downs and then to see how it lead me to today.  I love working out and training because it was such a huge part of my life and now its my husbands life!  Now talk about spontaneity….husband and wife sharing some training sessions together!  It was a great time and we pushed each other to the limit!!  I could never be able to help JP with his pitching program….but I was able to work him in our running sessions and show him running is up there with being on the mound  These past few months have inspired me to get back to racing and participating in the importance of health and fitness!  I love broadcasting, writing, and having fun!  But, there is nothing like training for fitness and competitive goals–especially when you are surrounded with the right people!

You can imagine what it was like for the two of us to be pushed hard together and watch each other during this process!  Mark helped me to get my muscles back and he really helped to build strength for JP in his lower body, which is great for pitching.  He also helped JP with movements that will help him during games for pitching.  After training JP and I would go run the Los Gatos hills together and that really helped us both get in good running shape!  The hills in Los Gatos are pretty serious and 2 miles into the run you have a stretch of 3 huge hills to conquer.  JP and I would take each one step by step…just like he takes each batter one by one. This helped him focus in a different way than being on the mound.  We both have learned through athletics that training is key–but, you can’t be a champion without the right mind set!  The hardest hill was always the last one so I would tell him to pretend that he’s in a game with two outs and needs to find the strength to get one more.   You might be hurting physically when you train….but, if you tell your mind what you want to accomplish and you see it….then your body will respond correctly no matter how it is feeling!  JP would push me to remember the feeling of competing again at athletics and he brought back that competitive spirit.  It made me miss the feeling of competing!  But JP helped me to experience it again, this time was just in a very unique way.  We had a lot of fun running together because it was a chance for us to keep each other going and it helped us get to our goal everyday.

On our days off we would do Bikram yoga together…and this really is NO day off!!!  I have also learned how important flexibility is in sports performance and life!  Hot yoga might just be up there with running those Los Gatos hills!! You are in a heated room for 90 minutes where you go through 26 yoga poses that are tough as can be!  We would have to push each other to walk in J  But, when walking out together we would feel so refreshed and detoxed!  I recommend it for all types of people who want to get in shape and relieve stress and pain in the process.  Yoga helps JP to stay healthy and flexible for pitching.

As you can see in these pictures Mark pushed us hard in his gym Move It too!  It’s hard to say which part of the whole process is the toughest because each component is equally challenging!  Its just about being consistent and tough in your mind to make you get through it and come out even stronger!  Just by training with JP, Peggy, Mark and my brother for 2 months I was able to get back in great running shape and re-find that desire to train and compete again!!

It makes a difference who you surround yourself with when you are training. And this is true for all areas of your life.  Your support system might just be the most important ingredient of them all!!! If you keep positive and inspirational people around you….you will naturally excel in your life and at all you are trying to accomplish or overcome.  I have been blessed to have many uplifting people along the way who helped keep me on the right track.  I will miss having Mark, Peggy and my brother Chris to workout with on a daily basis because it pushed me into the gym!!  And of course JP is starting spring training and at training camp everyday!  So, although I will miss my training partners, after reading this article I’m ready to keep it going….and make sure that I’m prepared for another off season of training next November! Maybe I will even jump back in a race soon to see what times I can run 10 years later!

Following the Light while also Having some Fun…..

After a few very LONG stressful days of moving from California to Florida I received a few days of fun and surprises!  The first coming from JP who really stunned me by taking me to a John Mayer concert in Tampa!  As you can see in this picture we were real close in row 2!  A few days later, I then headed off to the Keys to visit my parents and my Uncle and Aunt….and yes…. I also experienced some very tasty coloadas – but remember they do have alcohol in them even though they taste just like a dessert!! Lastly I came home to Tampa to see the movie Valentines Day with my Valentine! Not a bad week                                                                                                                                      

I can thank JP for taking me and being my date to John Mayer!  JP and I first discovered John Mayer when we were at USC as freshmen!  It was surreal to be sitting at his concert almost 9 years later, now married!

We had gone to a Sharks hockey game and a Warriors basketball game this off-season, but decided to take a brief break from sports this time around to enjoy some real inspiring lyrics and beats!   (I enjoyed the lyrics and I know JP enjoyed the guitar.)  I think John Mayer is one of the better artists of the decade, even with all the negative publicity he adds on with his edgy comments in magazines….he can still find a way to write captivating lyrics.  He is one of the only artists in his genre that successfully can bring out deeper meaning in music while also allowing his writing to still be catchy and compelling to a wide variety of people.  I have enjoyed John Mayer’s songs since I was a freshman at USC, and I admire musicians who write their own music because it gives listeners a chance to feel a connection.

I think I’m still driving JP nuts by belting out “Oh gravity, stay the hell away from me…..and gravity wants to bring me down. Just keep me where the light is….. keep me where the light is.”  Haha I’m sure JP is ready for my signing to end, but I still feel pretty good that John Mayer is fighting to stay on the right track like we all have to fight to do everyday no matter what our position is in life.  John Mayer even saw JP yawn at one point and was cool enough to allow his drummer ten minutes to play one hell of a performance for all the bored guys out there….

Now, one place where there surely are no bored guys or gals is– Key West!  The day after the John Mayer concert I jumped on a small plane to go to Key West (And by small plane I mean SMALL plane….as you can see below, I continue to face my fears and really let go as I get on this thing haha!!).

Key West is one of the most fascinating places I’ve been too.  It has beautiful sunsets and an energy that takes over you with calmness the minute you land on this quaint island.  Im fortunate to have very cool parents who stay hip and extremely chill by keeping Key West as one of their regular stomping grounds!  They taught me that the harder you work at work and at doing the right thing….the luckier you will be at achieving happiness. But, they also taught me that vacations are very needed once and awhile and they are so right!  Life needs to be enjoyed, and although I am a homebody….I can see the healing effect that comes when you get out and enjoy the beautiful places in life.  So, I got a chance to tag along with my parents and they never let me down!  Although JP was forced to stay behind because of baseball training…I got a very pleasant surprise from my Uncle Mike and Aunt Sharon Leach. Mike and Sharon have been like family to me for a long time now and they are two of the most special people I know.  Mike, as most sports fans know, was the Texas Tech football head coach.  Unfortunately for Tech, they lost someone I know is rare and definitely a diamond in the rough.  Mike puts his heart and his soul into whatever he sets out to accomplish.  His wife Sharon is as equally cool as Mike and down to earth.  I always think you can tell a lot about a man by the wife or girlfriend he has.  Sharon, is proof that Mike is as genius off the field as he is on one.  He actually went from being a lawyer to coaching football with no experience. He started from the bottom and eventually proved to be one of the best in the competitive college game.

Mike was amongst the top schools in the Big 12 conference in college football and never had the luxury of the first pick at the best crop of players.  In fact, he got the players that the big schools like Texas and Oklahoma didn’t want — and then went on to beat them or give them one heck of a run!  Mike took guys that were overlooked and turned them into a team that could compete and hang with the best.  People might say he had some good players…but he was actually the one to discover many of the unlikely guys that went on to be very successful players.  A guy like Wes Welker, who plays with the famous New England Patriots now, is marked in his bio as being 5’9.  Not to offend Welker, but I have met him in person and he was lucky to be a little taller then me and I’m 5’7.  Mike took Welker when he was first overlooked and helped create possibilities for him to have the opportunity to shine even at a school like Tech.  Now, his coach Bill Belichick refers to him as “the best slot receiver in the league.”                                                                                                  

Mike was caught in an unfortunate situation of politics in sports where business always comes over heart unfortunately.  I know Mike and Sharon believe just like I do that “Everything happens for a reason” and I know that this experience will go on to make him a stronger and wiser football coach, and life coach in the end.  And that his book will be a great read Mike and Sharon you have endless support from JP and your niece!!!

While in Key West you can also get into some damage…so although its easy to find the light of relaxation and peace…..temptation lurks in every corner for youth these days….especially here!  While I’m out and about I keep my little friend in my purse to guide me.  Keeping on the right track is a combination of will, determination, heart, and the right kind of fun!  The best way to follow the light I feel is to have some fun while you are doing it.  So, I splurged on Pina Coladas during my stay in the Keys and even found a place to take Dangles to so that he could enjoy some time away from his day job of keeping so much light in the world hehe  He might be my guardian angel while I conquer my fear of flying in eight seater planes (like the one above) …but don’t let the cute smile fool you he can hang with the best of them at the Flying Monkey Saloon….(I don’t think it hit him until he got home hahaha)!

“Keep it light”….but Follow the Light!

“Keep it light,” is something my mom would repeat to me over and over and over again!  Now…like many other things…I look at what she was saying with great admiration and respect. I now understand the true meaning of that phrase more than I did a couple of years ago.

Although, there is nothing I love more then a good laugh (the kind I get when I look at this picture)…I know I’m naturally a serious thinker.  And this is why I’m passionate about all I strive to do.  But “keeping it light” during the process is still something I can work on.  I think it’s something we can all work to achieve.  It doesn’t mean that we don’t tackle serious issues and face the ideas that can bring greater meaning into our life.  It just means there is a way to do everything while enjoying the process and simultaneously remembering what life is all about and how short our time together actually is.

It’s very easy these days to take everything too seriously and to get caught up in a way of thinking that will throw you off the natural flow of your life’s path.  While we strive to grow and find our purpose, we need to keep it a little lighter and think more about what we have to laugh and smile about. Then when we are stressed all day about what we have yet to accomplish….we learn to slow down first and see that when we let go of our own stress we are actually letting good energy from the universe in. This is the natural force that opens and closes doors in life.  Fate in many ways is our own creation.  When we are stressed and rigid it’s hard to let the good things come into our lives.  So, by “keeping it light” we are actually making our life path a lot easier by letting infinite possibility in.                                                                                                                                                                                                        

When we become light in our way of thinking….it gives way for light to come through us.  And there is no greater power on this planet than light.  Being stressed and negative will only bring more darkness into an already challenging day.  We hold the power to let the light or the dark guide us.  Unfortunately, we are seeing too much darkness in this world because that is what people are turning to.  And sadly, people teach us that darkness isn’t a choice.  I’m not saying we can avoid all hurt, pain and tragedy.  Life has a way of giving us those things to teach us to grow and I don’t have the answers to why.  But, we can choose to flow with light and happiness and take the steps to let it into our lives no matter what is going on around us.

If we want light in our life…opening the door for all good to enter…then we need to be lighter and let ourselves go a little.  The old saying is…sometimes you have to “let go and let God”…and that reveals an open door to let powerful energy come through us.  Don’t wonder how this all works.  Just believe it in your heart and try it during your hectic days of school, work, relationships, or sports.  When you feel stressed or negative, slow down and think… “keep it light.”  Then don’t focus on the how, just enjoy the light in life.  Focusing on the “how” is also a way to slow down the natural flow of letting life in to help us.  Life’s energy is a lot more powerful than we are taught.  You can create a lot more than your mind might tell you and it starts with what you are thinking.  If you don’t want to be stressed and frustrated then become a magnet of energy for what you do want.  It’s all about the choices you make –  you have the power.  Just like when life gives you the green light… you learn to go with no hesitation. Learn to choose light, not darkness, without hesitation.  Don’t think too much about it…just keep it light. The more you bring light in the more you can have fun and enjoy and see clearly day to day.  JP and I are here in this pictures with glasses on because while we are learning the process of “keeping it light together”…we are also having fun and striving to attract so much light now…. that it just might blind us

Forever Changing: And Still Remaining the Same

Change.  This would be one word to describe my life.  And I’m sure the lives of many of you who are reading this blog.  Adapting to change has been, and still would be, the one thing in my life that has been key for me to be able to move forward and advance the path that I am on and of course to help keep me on the right track.

Change always seems to bring me an uncomfortable/uncertain feeling in my stomach.  I’m sure it’s because I can’t look into the future and see what this will bring into my life.  But, I can say that every step of the way when I have made changes and went with it….it always takes my life to the next place where I need to be. …and it’s usually a much better place then before (even if I didn’t see why at the time).

Right now, as I write this I’m sitting in a car on my way from San Jose to Sacramento to meet my husband and take a flight tomorrow back to Tampa!  Again- another huge change!  Our lives are forever changing!  We live in St. Petersburg, Florida from about February until September.  And as many know, we are on the road every other week.  JP also has needed to make a lot of changes in his life and that is what has made his career possible and partly why he is so successful!  Without us both adapting to change this picture you see here would have never been taken.  (It’s the day we celebrated him and his team making it to the World Series).   That day I shot a BCS show for Fox in the morning-you can see the show in the picture here- and was able to fly across country right after to celebrate with him on making it to the World Series that night!  (As you could see my shirt went from clean in LA in the morning to soaking with champagne in Tampa that night!) It was an exciting time for both of us.  But, to get there wasn’t always as fun as these pictures look.  There was a lot of ups and downs that went into the process. Both of our lives have been a constant change and what helped lead us in the right direction was learning how to use this to make our lives better and never letting it hold us back.  Now the biggest change of all is bringing these many individual changes we do alone… together!!!

Talk about a crazy amount of change.  This past September we moved back to my hometown of Los Gatos to live while we finished up wedding plans and got married.  Now, again, it’s back to Florida to see what this year has to bring for us.

I have had to adapt to so much in my life over the last few years.  Getting married-of course- being the biggest and greatest one. It seems that in one blink of an eye my life has gone from thinking that my path would be all about running, to finishing up my degree at USC, to working at Fox and in TV, and then of course to getting married and the millions of changes that come with that (especially with our schedules).  Its very exciting the steps we take in life and the changes that we make.  But, I have found that it’s easy to get stuck in that feeling of worry about what it will bring, even if we know in our heart its what we need to do.  Focusing on the positive helps to guide me through.  And in the back of my mind I know that I have so many blessings that thinking about the bad side of what could happen will only keep me stuck, and not move me forward in my life.  Through out all of the changes and the up and down emotions that come with it,  focusing on the vision I have for my future would and still does help to keep me moving in the right direction.

When I broke my back and had to stop my running career I had a million negative emotions rush over me.  I was angry, hurt and lost.  But, what got me through it was searching inside of myself and finding the solutions to the positive impact this situation could bring my life.  Listening to my intuition and knowing that this must be part of my life’s plan helped me to face it instead of letting it hold me back. And although I had many days of being depressed that vision carried me forward and it did take my life on a new track that was much better then just “running track” my whole life.  I moved on to finishing college and then went on to gain a lot of life experience by working at Fox Sports and in TV.  All of this would have never came into my life if I would have focused on the negative emotions that filled me up when I had broken my back. If I would have let those bad feelings be my guide it would have lead me down the wrong path.

It’s hard to let the potential good come in when we remain stuck.   One of my favorite sayings to think about when going through change is this, “One door closes…and another one opens”.  Revelations 3:8…When God leads you to the edge of the cliff trust him and fully let go.  Only one of two things can happen then.- Either He will catch you when you fall, or He will teach you how to fly!  God closes doors no man could open.  And God opens doors no man can close.”  I wonder where my life would be now if I had let inevitable and unexpected change ruin my life and make me turn to the wrong things or keep me stuck.  What I know for sure is….that I wouldn’t be in a car right now about to meet my husband and take off on yet another crazy and exciting journey ….that will no doubt in my heart be the best experience of my life.

To all of you facing change: First, count your blessings and second, don’t be scared to take risks.  With great risk comes great reward….and always stay on the Right Track that’s within your heart.  You can go along with the change that your life will bring you and still remain the same person you are in your heart and soul.  Just because you are changing locations, jobs, or going to be around new types of people and ways of being….doesn’t mean you need to change you or your character…I have learned that in any environment you can still remain who you are in your soul and let the other change in your life help you grow to a stronger, happier, and better you. I am going to pass on these ideal in my Healing Hearts foundation too!

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