What’s your story?
Maybe you came to sport late.
You found it in the gym or the studio.
Maybe you discovered it early, on a court or a course.
Maybe it’s walking, maybe it’s running, maybe it’s dance or yoga or swimming or hiking. Maybe you found your sport when you saw your daughter transformed by that first athletic success and knew that your own transformation was out there waiting for you. Maybe you found it on your way to something else—a kid’s practice, a healthier life, a friend’s race. But no matter where each of our sports stories begins, we all end up at the same place, a place where we are becoming our own best selves.
Tell us your story!
Founder, Missy Park
I was forced into sports when i was a kid. My parents made me take ski lessons, tennis lessons,swimming lessons and we played neighborhood sports on our dead end street. At 17 I was forced into life guarding lessons. That led to a lifeguarding job. This was the best job I ever had. I got paid too much,worked with a great group of people and got to save lives. This was the first time I was a jock instead of a “bad girl” I loved it. I also loved the hours in the poll swimming all those laps to stay in shape. Exercise with no sweat!!… As I grew up I took arobics to keep my great shape. I started walking the beach because I could never run very far by the end of the summer I was running the lenght of the beach 3mile every day. I run around the nieghborhood. Then I ran around town. I the winter I skied to go outdoors.Infact I have become such a ski bum. I taylor my jobs to fit my ski addition. Now I run on the tred mill in the summer. Take yoga. Hike in the fall and ski my brains out in the winter. I enter ski races.
I’m so glad my parents forced me to do sports I wasn’t interested in other wise I’d be an unhappy fat couch potatoe. Thanks Mom and Dad
As a child I loved the independence of walking miles across town to the movie theater, library, church, school or store. During my high school years my father took me hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. I returned to hike there with my husband and children several times as an adult. In college I would try to best my time speed walking across campus to a frequent hangout or enjoy a leisurely stroll in the fog that often engulfed our campus. As a young mom I walked to regain my figure after pregnancy. At age forty-six I achieved a long term goal of hiking to the summit of Longs Peak in RMNP. Now in my fifties I battle middle age estrogen gain with walking in the neighborhood. I love the solitude – alone with my thoughts and the sounds of the birds and the feel of the wind. Sometimes I listen to my ipod, but more frequently I enjoy the quiet of personal reflection.
Picture 81 kids, ages preschool to eighth grade. On a sunny day in May, 2009, the students set out to run a marathon – together. Our hope was that by adding their laps around the .37 mile lap that they would, together, run a “marathon.” The challenge would be 71 laps.The event was complete with bib numbers and water stops, with parents and teachers cheering the students. The students ran and ran; even the preschoolers did more that one lap each. Together, the students ran 441 laps for a total of 6.2 marathons!!!!!!!
Morning Runs
Morning runs bring back music to my soul
As melodies float above meandering meadows
And harmonies drift along song-filled streams……………..
BB ’09
I was never picked for sports when I was growing up on the plains of Colorado. I was small and a bit scrawny. Then in college, I knew there was a sport for me. I tried gymnastics, rollerblading, mountain biking and yes, women’s rugby. Even though I was small, I had attitude. Then while in weight lifting class (to get “bigger” to play rugby), the instructor kept telling me that I was built not like a rugby player but like a climber. (I had a few other people who did not know me, tell me the same thing). So I finally decided to try it and fell in love with it! The only sport that I have felt a true connection with. I only wish I knew about it sooner. Still a climber at age 38. I am married to an alpinist and writer/film producer (newest venture), I am still on the scrawny side and have been called “gumby” more than once. I am also a pediatric ER nurse…which probably feeds a part of my adrenaline rush.
I was a competitive swimmer when I was young. When I turned 13 I got involved in other sports and quit swimming. I have always been active, but had not been in the water until I had kids and they were old enough to join a team. I joined with them on their summer league team when I was 39 years old. I am now 46 and joined a US Masters swimming team. Last year I swam in our state meet and set the state record for the 100 free in the 40 and over division. When I swim with high school kids I am always proud to say that I can swim faster than most of them!! The other moms and dads tell me I remind them of Dara Torres when they see me race.
I was always active as a kid, but never anything that required endurance – I’m sure my lack of wind had nothing to do with my parents being smokers 🙂 In college I tried running, but after awhile got tired of having to force each breath in and switched to walking. In my 30’s I took up jujitsu, and that will always be my “love” when it comes to an activity. It is wonderful but doesn’t require physical fitness – the whole object is no muscle and to use your opponents weight and size against them. I was one of those lucky people who looked pretty good without trying hard. But then I had 2 children, the second one at 39 – I no longer have that concave stomach. I want to be there when they grow up, and I have no time to work out, so I took up running again as the fastest way to burn calories and exercise my lungs. I still have to force the air into my lungs, I’m slow and I can’t go very far, but I’ve kept at it for almost 2 years and will continue to do so as long as my joints hold out. I love the Athena bra – it gives me the support I need in both running and jujitsu.
After September 11, my husband and I decided at age 57 not to wait any longer to follow our dream of moving to Colorado to enjoy our remaining years of being active and close to our adult children. Our kids were already into rock climbing, which had terrified me at first. But after being in CO for six months and practicing in the rock gym, my family took me outside to climb in Eldorado Canyon, and I have been hooked every since. I spent yesterday climbing with my husband and came home to find my Medicare card in the mailbox. Not bad for a 65 year old!
I actually first picked up a tennis racquet at about 12 years old when my Dad took me to a public park and enrolled me in a clinic with other kids about my age. I was not a natural athlete -I was a reader and would just as soon stay indoors with my book and a hot chocolate. Still, I did enjoy hitting the balls and running around with the other kids. Fast forward to getting married at 19 and my family introducing my new husband (who was an athlete) to tennis. He and I started hitting and started our son out when he was 5 years old. I raised two children who played Jr. tennis and I became the chauffeur, coach and generally a “tennis mom”. It took years later for me to really become a player myself. I joined USTA tennis doubles leagues at about the age of 45 and have played steadily since then. I just turned 63 (how did that happen??) and have been the captain of our women’s 4.0 Senior Doubles league for at least 5 years now. I play the rest of the year with all ages of women at our club and throughout the city. It has become a focal point of my life (even though I’m still a voracious reader). After years of watching my kids progress, I now get to enjoy my own progress!
I had my first hiking experience when I went along on a school outing to Yosemite. I was given 40 students and a pointed toward a trail that led to Vernal Falls, i whose hiking was limited to carrying the groceries from the car to the kitchen…when we reached the destination of Vernal Falls and a couple of kids asked what was up higher…I did not know so I said to them all that we would go forward to the top of Nevada Falls just to see what was beyond our destination. My first hike has led to twenty five years of finding out what lies ahead…I have hiked the Tibetan side of Mt. Everest, the Inca Trail, El Calafate, all over the High Sierra, the Rocky Mountains, and will be going to Kanchenjunga next and the Lycean Trail next summer.