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Entrepreneur/Event Production AKA Backcountry Survival Instructor/Ferret Herder
Centennial Colorado
“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” -Harriet Beecher Stowe
I am a former athlete that thrives in competitive, high stress, high performance situations. I have two boys (22 and 15) that I love more than life itself and an amazing husband that supports all my crazy, well at least most of it. I randomly started collecting rings from local artists when I travel internationally, and now it is one of my favorite things to do when I travel. I’ve discovered some of the most amazing areas off the beaten path in otherwise tourist laden cities, and I get to practice my navigation when I inevitably must retrace my wanderings back to my hotel.
My husband stumbled across the Rebelle last year and told me he had found my perfect event. After our Rookie season in 2022, I was hooked, and there was no question, I would compete again in 2023. But this year, unexpectedly, the rally took on a deeper meaning for me than just a competition and a chance to have yet another amazing adventure with Sharon. This year has been a rollercoaster of ridiculous highs (Dublin friends say what?! You’re doing this too someday!), mixed with loss and regret. Which has led me to the realization that too often, we “let the moment pass us by” without realizing there might not be another. You pass up grabbing dinner with a loved one, you skip the opportunity to experience something new, you don’t slow down and enjoy the people and the places with which you find yourself, and then the opportunity is gone. The rally doesn’t allow for that. Once you disconnect the cell phones and personal devices, you are 100% connected to your teammate, the course, the competitors, and yourself. There’s no passing up the experience or the current emotions, you have no choice but to push forward, feel the feelings and embrace it all. I’m looking forward to another 10 days of Sharon and I getting time together that we would otherwise never be able to get outside of the race. Embracing every moment, good and bad, even the 5am cowbell. Because, let’s be honest, the bad ones are usually the best laughs after the finish line is crossed!
I’m inspired by Emily Harrington, one of the most successful and versatile professional climbers in the world. She leans into fear and discomfort and recognizes that difficult things, by definition, are not easy and progress is not always linear.
Alone (TV Show)
The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho
Any book about apocalyptic survival (guilty pleasure)
I have plenty of travel mishaps…err adventures…that I am not ready to share with my kids yet. Trying to teach them a bit more worldly “awareness” before I share the “DOH” moments. The last 22 years with my husband and going through all the childhood/teenage/adult stages with my boys, have probably been the most rewarding, fun, and memorable adventures I could ever hope for. If you’re not laughing together, you’re doing it wrong.
2022
B2B Marketer, Event Producer, Volunteer, and “Mama” to my boys (3 & 5 yrs. old)
Centennial Colorado
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Anais Nin
I periodically ask myself, “When’s the last time, you did something for the first time?” After the Rebelle last year, I decided to take up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I prefer to call it “ninja class,” because, well… ninjas are awesome, and how else am I going to get street cred with the 5-year-olds? Plus, it’s a whole lot easier to spell ninja than Jiu Jitsu. They say the white belt, (the first belt you earn) is the hardest because stepping on the mat is so intimidating. I’m grateful for Easton Training Center teaching me to bring four principles to all that I do. They are Focus, Respect, Energy, and Disciple. This mindset, along with gratitude and positivity will be sure to guide me through the Rebelle.
Why Rebelle? WHY NOT!? Once you become part of the family, you peel back a layer of yourself, out pops a cape, and you realize you’ve had superpowers this whole time. You feel one part Wonder Woman, one part Tony Stark. Once you cross that finish line, you’re left with an experience that no one can take away from you. My mantra on the rally last year was, “I can do hard things.” And like Emily Miller says, “If it was easy, everyone would do it.” The Rebelle allows me to put on my own oxygen mask first, before caring for others. I know so many females that feel the pressure of wearing so many different hats. How can I be a good partner, good mother, good leader, good co-worker, and a helluva good friend. We often think of all these other people over ourselves. The Rebelle allows me to do something wholly for myself, that feeds my soul, and let’s me be a kid again. It’s like playing a gigantic board game in real life. There are fierce competitors, strategic decisions, surprises, all wrapped around the highs and lows. But something after that last check point is signaled and the finish line is crossed leaves you reflecting on the experience, the views, the camaraderie, the challenges, and the triumphs. The experience really never leaves you; it becomes a part of you. Like armor you put on to take with you into the next challenge. Plus, I’ve always had a love of maps. Nerd alert or navigator in the making? You be the judge. In my bedroom as a kid, I had this huge world map that I wrote all over. Labeling places like New Zealand as the “Kiwi Kingdom.” And drawing Ayers Rock in Australia and marking it as, “Giant Rock – middle of nowhere.” Even back then, I was drawn to the middle of nowhere. I guess my Rebelle training started early, I just didn’t know it at the time.
I’m inspired by the incredible amount of resiliency I’ve seen where people have gone through these gut-wrenching personal tragedies, and yet they find a way carry-on. And it’s not just merely carrying on. It’s people with the best possible attitudes, that look at the world and despite their loss, they ask of themselves what they can do for others. For example, the founder of Maddie Wright Foundation, Julie Wright, tragically lost her daughter to Fentanyl poisoning. Maddie was far too young at 23 years old to be taken from this world. Prior to Maddie’s death, I knew nothing about Fentanyl or how it is tied to the opioid crisis we continue to hear more about. Today, Fentanyl poisoning is the #1 cause of death for those ages 18 to 45, killing nearly 300K people in the last three years. As a result of her loss, Julie started the Maddie Wright Foundation to open the conversation with the community, to lessen the stigma around this topic. Aimed at reducing harm through education and other programs, Julie has focused her time and energy on helping others and has done it with unimaginable grace, vulnerability, and heart. I remember it was December of 2020, and I was worried about how tough the holidays were going to be for Julie. It had only been three months since we laid Maddie to rest. I was blown away when Julie told me that she was choosing to come from a place of gratitude to focus on the last 23 Christmases she did have with Maddie instead of this first one she would spend without her. It really puts things in perspective and is a testament to how resilient the human spirit can be. I challenge you, if you consider yourself to be a lifelong learner, go to https://maddiewrightfoundation.org/ and learn something new. You just might save a life with your newfound knowledge.
The podcast SmartLess is a must listen. Hosted be Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett.
TV Show Suits. Thanks Netflix’s for the ‘Top 10 Spot’ putting Harvey front and center for us all.
I stream Slacker & Steve – Shout out to Alice 105.9 station in Denver. Slacker is hys-ter-ical and the work they do for Children’s Hospital is next level stuff.
As someone who struggled to conceive, I can easily say motherhood has been my greatest adventure to date. There is nothing like reexploring the world through the eyes of a child as they experience things for the first time. I was fortunate enough to bring my sons out to the European Living Legends of Aviation awards in Austria in 2019 and again in 2022. One of my most cherished memories was set over a beautiful backdrop of Austrian peaks, with blue skies reflecting in the shimmering lake of St. Wolfgang. Three generations of family gathered on a balcony as jets and vintage aircraft flew overhead. The Red Bull pilots, the Flying Bulls, out of Hangar 7 in Salzburg put on an airshow in the skies that day I wish I could play on repeat. After the event, nothing beat exploring 12th century castles, cobble stone streets and stained-glass churches with my little men in tow.
2022