Two thousand and four was a very difficult year for me. I began the year having orthoscopic knee surgery, which took longer to heal from than I expected. After the surgery, due to my inability to go to the gym and not feeling well for quite a while following the procedure, I proceeded to gain almost twenty pounds. I was the heaviest I have ever been (I weighed more than I did when I was nine months pregnant).
In April I cut off almost a foot of hair and donated it to Locks of Love, which was not a bad thing, however it was a huge adjustment for me after having long hair for most of my life. In May, I ended a long time relationship in which I was not happy. Again, not a bad thing, but a major adjustment. Then in June of 2004, the company I had worked at for four years was downsized and I lost my once-secure job.
In August, my beloved seven-year-old cat, Mat, suddenly suffered from kidney failure and died. I thought that was more than I could handle.
Then the unthinkable happened. On September 5, I was leaving the gym on my way to meet some of my girlfriends for a night out, since my son Jordan was visiting with his father for the Labor Day weekend. As I left the gym, I received a message on my cell phone. It was Jordan’s aunt telling me that
my fourteen-year-old son was in a terrible motorcycle accident and was being flown to Gillette Children’s Hospital in a coma.
Jordan had been riding on the back of his dad’s motorcycle, when they slowed down to turn into a driveway to go to a family cookout, they were run over by an SUV. Jordan was dragged 205 feet under the truck before the driver stopped. The vehicle caught on fire, but Jordan was pulled from beneath before the flames reached him. He was in a coma for eleven days and in the rehab department until October 8. I stayed with him twenty-four hours a day while he was at the hospital because he needed me there and I did not want to leave his side.
The good news is that he is recovering wonderfully and is back at school now. During our stay at the hospital, I needed to try to keep myself healthy so I could be there for Jordan. While I was by his side, holding his hand and talking to him while he was in a coma, I needed to keep myself focused on something positive throughout the most difficult time in our lives. There wasn’t a gym to use at the hospital, but I modified my exercise program to things I could do while I was there (including using hand weights in the physical therapy room while Jordan was doing his PT, running in the parking ramp, yoga and tai chi) and I had a friend bring me my protein shakes and bars so I had some healthy food with me to avoid eating all of the junk food our well-meaning visitors brought to the hospital.
When we were finally able to go home, I was determined to make a greater commitment to health and fitness in my life. Because I have always loved to dance, and wanted to start dancing again, I had planned on competing in a fitness competition once I got in shape. Once I was able, I began to focus on that goal. I have spent the past two and a half months working very hard, keeping focused more and more on my training and nutrition, and learning everything I can about what I need to accomplish to be successful at a fitness competition. I have made great strides in this year, many of which have come forth over the past few months. I have become a stronger person both physically and spiritually.
I will be competing in the Gopher State Classic in Plymouth, Minnesota on April 2 as my first competition of my life. This day is not only my fitness competition; it is Jordan’s 15th birthday as well. I will be dedicating my performance to him, in gratitude for his amazing recovery, and to all the people who got me through the most difficult time in our lives. I cannot think of a better reason to celebrate health and fitness!
This article was written when I was preparing for the first figure and fitness competition I had ever done. I have since competed in a few different shows. Jordan is now 23 years old and is doing great as an adult. He is currently living back in Wisconsin and getting ready to go back to college this summer to work on his degree. I am blessed and grateful every day for his health and his recovery. He is definitely my comeback kid and a walking miracle.