I may not be the lithest, the most talented, or have the fastest time in the field, but I have passion and courage, and sometimes that is enough to do something extraordinary.

I learned a long time ago that the last thing any woman should be thinking about is being 'skinny' or 'thin.' To me, those words imply weakness, fragility, the inability to stand firm in a storm. If you want to change your body, aim for 'athletic.' An athletic body is healthy, strong, and built to thrive. An athletic body can take many shapes.

By lifting each other up we lift ourselves up

I decided to make the life I want, and put energy into what moves me, and not rely on anyone for approval of my choices.

Perfect preparation doesn’t exist. Excellent adaptation does.

My sport has transformed my body to be powerful for a specific task over years of training and competition. The more tuned for competition I am, the less "feminine" I look, and it has made me feel powerful on the track but self-conscious in the sack. That transformed for me as I let go of feminine ideals of all kinds, in work, parenting, etc.

When you're a dreamer, heart break and failure come with the territory, but I can tell you it's worth it, because it's a way of living that is both moving and memorable.