Breakthrough with Royan
In 2016, I had started following a local gym owner named Hunter. In 2018, when I met Beth to help her with her puppy, she was working with Hunter learning the ropes at his gym. It was at that time that I was in the most pain.
I was overweight, and going through breast cancer. I was struggling with sleeping due to serious pain in my legs and feet. Some days I could barely move, I shuffled my feet in pain when I walked and I had to crawl up the stairs on all fours.
At 49, the chronic pain was really becoming annoying and depressing. I love to travel & explore and being unable to walk easily was putting a big crimp in my plans.
Doctors said I had a slightly slipped vertebrae that was pinching a nerve. ‘Do some exercises’ they said. ‘Sleep on my back with my knees on a big pillow’ they said. What exercises? How many? What if I made it worse and paralyzed myself??? The information was both generic and overwhelming. I needed someone that knew what they were doing to help me.
After 2 years of observing Hunter & what he was building with Hybrid Fitness, it took me another month to shuffle in, but I finally did. Admitting that I needed help was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life.
When I entered the gym, I knew it would be a process. I didn’t get this way overnight & I wasn’t going to get strong overnight either. I just wanted to feel better, be able to walk, and have less pain.
Coach Hunter and Coach Beth coached me on what to do and what NOT to do and I did it. I did what I could do and altered per their instructions. I immediately started feeling better. Better that I did my best, my body felt better because I was moving it, and my confidence increased because I was learning what I was capable of. I learned that if I fell down, it might not be graceful, but I could get myself back up again; literally and figuratively.
In 2019, Coach Beth organized a hiking trip up the tallest mountain in Maine, Mt Katahdin. My husband wanted to give it a go. We met another couple from the gym and started hiking every Sunday to get ready. I was too slow with bad knees. I decided to do a 7 mile solo hike on the last part of their loop. Out and back on the trail they would end their day on. At least if I got in trouble, I knew they’d eventually be coming along. We all did it! It was amazing! There were hours at a time that I was alone in the Maine wilderness with nothing but clean air, beautiful sights, my own thoughts, and my determination.
Once our Katahdin hike was completed, the four of us wanted to continue hiking, and we still adventure together every Sunday!!! And, I’m happy to say, we all summited Mt Katahdin together in 2021! I wasn’t quick BUT I DID IT!!!
Fast forward to 2022, I’m not only still a Hybrid Fitness gym member but also Coach Hunter’s Assistant and became part of the Beth Feraco Fitness team! I feel FANTASTIC and I get to play the role that Coach Hunter played for me. I get to help people BREAKTHROUGH and take that sometimes most difficult first step towards helping themselves and improving their lives.
To say that walking through that door was LIFE CHANGING is an understatement. It was, by far, the hardest thing that I have ever done. Since then, my coaches have helped me learn to use different tools so I can make my own doable and sustainable decisions. I don’t restrict any foods. I eat at restaurants. I eat cake! I am stronger in my 50’s than I have ever been or ever dreamed of being! I am honored to be helping others get started on their journey every day.
It’s unclear who said it but this reminds me of one of my favorite quotes “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do”. I have no doubt in 20 years I will still be very happy I took that scary step and walked into this wonderfully real fitness family plus I’ll be strong AF!