When you look at yourself in the mirror and don't recognize the person staring back at you, it's time to do something about that.

I was a competitive athlete (despite being diagnosed hypothyroid at 13) until I was injured in an accident at 17. Going from being an extremely active teen to someone struggling to just walk again wasn't just painful, it was enough to crush my love of sports, of wanting to work out. Losing my fencing and other sports not only took away a possible career, ...

When you look at yourself in the mirror and don't recognize the person staring back at you, it's time to do something about that.

I was a competitive athlete (despite being diagnosed hypothyroid at 13) until I was injured in an accident at 17. Going from being an extremely active teen to someone struggling to just walk again wasn't just painful, it was enough to crush my love of sports, of wanting to work out. Losing my fencing and other sports not only took away a possible career, it also took my body. I gained 20 pounds in the aftermath of the accident.

Thankfully, I had the other love of my life, my music, and my wonderful family to carry me through. I went to college, went to grad school, got my degrees and found another playing field on which to let out my competitive side with my dream job.

I've been an expat in Germany for two years now, and I still love it here (even though it's cold! Even in the summer!)- the people are amazing once you get past the slightly prickly first impression, the food is even better, and dare I mention the chocolate (sorry Germans, the Swiss have you beat there still, though)?

Needless to say, I went from... well, slightly chubby to chubby in those two years.

It's time to go back to slim, and I also want my athletic groove back. It's been a struggle, but I've slowly learned to work with my strengths and strengthen my weaknesses. So what if I have to wear my "bionic leg" (it's what I call my carbon fiber knee brace) to run? So what if it shortens my stride? I can still run! Not as fast, not as long, not with as nice a style as before, but I can do it! My body has had long enough to heal, now it's time to build again!

I've also taken to playing on a volleyball team. It's something inbetween an exercise in frustration (trying to get my reflexes to work with my slower-moving body parts) and pure joy (just jumping after every single ball, getting to make a great save sometimes, being with other like-minded people in an active environment- I can't even say how much I missed this!). I'm still learning to listen to my body there, especially since the injured knee is the one I used to power my jumps with. I'm slowly, slowly getting used to using the other side more, though.

So, with all the groundwork laid, it's time to take this to the next level. Clean up my diet, get on the wagon, become the athlete I've been.

I want me back, and I won't stop until I see her in the mirror again. This is what you get for making me competitive!

*~*~*Update: 12/2012*~*~*
Re-injured the knee and am working on rehab. It's slow going, the scar tissue from before is working against me and muscle strength&control are still poor. I'm bending to almost 30 degrees now though!

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