My Fitness Inspiration: Don’t Make Me Choose

We’re talking fitness inspiration for this week’s Question of the Week! Check back each Friday as each FBG shares which celeb or everyday person inspires her to be fitter!

I was really excited when this question was added to the FBG editorial calendar. How great is it to show some love to the person(s) who’ve helped you become the fit and fab person you are, right?

But then I tried to choose a fitness inspiration, and for the last four weeks, I’ve been stuck. I can’t come up with just one person. I can’t even come up with a couple of people. So, I’m going to bend the rules a bit—or, okay, fine, I’m breaking and shattering them—and talk about how I find inspiration all around me. And you. And also her.

I love seeing athletes at the top of the game and playing with heart. I loved watching the Olympics last year, and not only hearing about various athletes’ successes, but also learning a bit about their training and background. Hearing about the workout schedules for some of the swimmers and track and field athletes reminded me that those elite athletes really earn their way to the top.

Last weekend, I volunteered at the finish line at our local marathon and half marathon. I couldn’t help but go for a long run after seeing all those people cross the finish line! But as inspired as I was by the people running a three-hour marathon, the ones who really motivated me were the folks who clearly struggled, but finished as strong as they could. They crossed the finish line limping and gasping, but once they caught their breath, they just beamed. They fought through their doubts and did it!

But, if I had to pick just one group of people (yes, I know that’s still cheating, and I don’t care), it would be the older age groupers in triathlon. You see, your age is written on you at a tri—generally on the back of your calf—so people can tell whether you’re in the same age group if they’re trying to pass you.

There’s nothing that gets me choked up like seeing a 70-year-old woman running toward the finish line. I don’t even get mad if a man in his 60s passes me on the bike—I just imagine how hard he’s worked, and I feel almost overwhelmed with happiness. These are the people who don’t just live a healthy life. They embrace it fully, and they continue to push their bodies to see what they can do. They’re doing things that plenty of healthy folks in their 20s can’t do, and if that’s not hella inspiring, I don’t even know what is. I just hope I can do the same when I get to that point.

Can you narrow your fitness inspiration down to just one person? Or do you have groups of people who inspire you, like I do? —Kristen