In 2009, I was suffering from a wide variety of symptoms including, headaches, dizziness and high levels of general fatigue. I underwent a variety of testing and scans from a variety of physicians, including a week long visit to the Mayo Clinic. Scared that I was dying from some undiagnosed or unknown disease, I decided to start making changes. At the time the Paleo diet and Crossfit were both gaining a lot of mainstream popularity. I began adhering to the diet, initially cutting out gluten, sugar and other excess carbs. I began to feel better. I continued by eliminating most dairy products and by focusing on eating whole, real foods. In July of 2013 I joined a local Crossfit affiliate, which put me on the road to improved fitness.

As my fitness improved, I began entering local 5K running events with a group of runners from my gym. I had run several 5K and 10K races in the past, but it had been many years. After Crossfit training for almost a year, I got the itch to run a few obstacle course races. I have since run several OCRs at 5, 10 and 15K distances. In March of 2016 I began training for my first half marathon, which I ran that summer. During that time I began thinking about both full marathons and shorter distance triathlons. Shortly after running the half marathon, I purchased a road bike with the intention of beginning triathlon training. In the fall of 2016, I completed my first sprint triathlon. Coming out of the lake that day, I swore I would never do another triathlon, but crossing the finish line changed everything. I was hooked. I immediately decided to set a big goal and registered for Ironman Chattanooga 70.3 in 2017. It was one of the toughest physical challenges of my life and I loved (almost) every minute of it. That race convinced me that triathlon is more than an event to enter, but a lifestyle to enjoy. I have since joined many teams and ambassador programs, which have introduced me to many incredible people in the sport. I look forward to competing in the sport of triathlon for as long as I can!