The First Post!

Here we go-- my first blog post! I'm sure some of you are rolling your eyes or chuckling because I've only been trying to get Dave to start a blog for what? at least a year? But, here I am... and here we are... :)

So, my reasoning behind this blog is fairly simple. I want to share my story and inspiration & I don't want to blow up the Facebook newsfeeds of everyone who doesn't care (it's been a hard lesson learned, but yes, some people just don't care about what I have to say!), so I feel like this is a safe place to do so. This blog will be mostly about my journey
with my family, fitness, dancing, and friends. I'll always keep it positive, I promise.

I'd like to just get a little bit of information out now about what inspired me to take this route at this point & why. Most of you know, I recently became a BeachBody coach. Once again, Dave had only been telling me I would be good at it for at least six months before I finally logged onto the website and bought T25 myself. I started doing the program here and there, but nothing super consistent. One weekend in March, I helped to organize and run a charity hockey game for Dave's college hockey alumni. We had done this fundraiser in the past for The Lemieux Foundation to honor his teammate, Tim Paul, but this year something felt different. My cousin, Emily, had just passed away last August from Leukemia & so it just had a deeper meaning for me, personally. At this fundraiser, I met Katy Ursta. (check out her blog here: One Fit Fighter ) Katy's husband, Mike, and Dave played hockey in college together. Katy had just been recently diagnosed with Lymphoma, which Dave had told me prior to the event, but he also told me she probably wouldn't make it to the game, so I never thought I would have gotten to meet her or had any interaction with her.. probably ever. But, Katy made it to the game that day. And I did get to meet her and have a conversation with her, which has now led me to this amazing place I am today. We talked briefly about how she was doing, I shared Emily's story with her, and something clicked. I told her I had seen on Facebook that she was a Beachbody coach and I had just bought T25 on my own. Something in that conversation that night made me reach out to her and ask her to be MY coach. I joined a challenge group, I lost 14 pounds, I feel amazing & I couldn't be happier with the support she gave me throughout that whole process. She inspired me to become a BeachBody coach to be able to do the same for others.

Katy signing her Elite Star at Coach Summit! 

BUT, it doesn't all end there. My reasoning behind this blog, behind this whole Beachbody thing, has grown to something even greater than I really ever thought I could do because Katy has shown me that I can. Throughout Emily's journey, she always talked so highly of LLS and The Mario Lemieux Foundation. I really have been trying to think of a way to do more for those foundations for months, until now. I really feel that BeachBody can be my platform-- to share Emily's story, share my own passions, & help charities that have been huge blessings for my family and so many others.

Last year, my family walked in the LLS "Light the Night" fundraiser under the team name "Emily's Joy". We raised a really decent amount of money for throwing it together in the short amount of time that we did, but if you don't know us, we're a little competitive. I know the whole family has big plans to set this LLS fundraising world on fire! But here's how I plan to contribute:

I've started this blog titled "Fit 4 Joy" & will be running "Emily's Joy" specials every so often. During these months, I will donate portions of Challenge Packs purchased through me to LLS and will have specific "Fit 4 Joy" Challenge Groups where we'll keep each other motivated & accountable to get our workouts in and our nutrition right, all while honoring Emily by helping to raise money for a charity so dear to her. I have other plans in the works, too, so stay posted to see what we're working on to take this fundraising opportunity by storm!

All of this information I've just shared with you makes me so excited! A little shaky, a little nervous, but so excited to share her story & give back! I know Em is always here with me. I know she had a major hand in making sure Katy walked into that hockey game back in March. I'd really like to make her proud, but I can't do it without all of you.

Click HERE to donate to Emily's Joy Light the Night Team!