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Imagine, Train, Do: Sophie Hawley
Talk about your starting point.
In the summer of 2011, I went to visit my sister in New York. Walking all over the city exhausted me, and I could barely handle the many stairs out of the subways. Just like at home; I was always winded at the top of our staircase. I was tired all the time. The trip was the first time I allowed photographs to be taken of me in months, and I didn’t recognize myself.
What was the turning point? The time you said to yourself, “yes, I can reach my goals.”
I remember a specific day in Spartan Training… I was getting tired from the sprints we were doing, and was starting to wimp out, slow down. Our Trainer took his microphone off and said to me, “I know you can do better than this — I know you’re tougher than this.” Honestly, I was kind of ticked, because I didn’t think I had any more to give. He was right, though! I finished the sprints faster than anybody (we were all tired). I didn’t know I had it in myself to push that far, until he showed me, which is why Courthouse staff are so dear to me. They are great!
Do you enjoy movement and exercise now? If so, why do you think that is?
I love it! I love exercise now because I CAN. Every workout is a chance for me to surprise myself, to see how much better I can do, how much farther I can push. It’s not easy, but it’s exhilarating. I’m not the same, tired Sophie I used to be!
Before your turning point, did you ever think you could do something like Spartan or the C2V?
No way! I never thought I would be able to do the things I can do. I never thought I would register for races or go hiking with my friends instead of going out for platters of Mexican food. I never thought I would wake up on a vacation at the coast and go for a jog, run some beach-access staircases while everyone else slept. I never thought I would even try to participate in a burpee challenge, or that I would come in second!
Talk about your weight-loss/fat-loss since you started your journey.
I’ve lost 51 pounds of fat! For me that was 12 sizes. I’ve gained lean mass, and my doctor says my cholesterol and triglycerides have gone down from high, unhealthy levels to normal. Can you imagine how terrible I used to feel? These are amazing changes in my quality of life.
What do you look forward to doing with your fitness?
I look forward to so much! More Spartan for me, please… more burpees, more torturous sprints. I want to be as fast as the others in my sessions! I want to win more challenges, I want to get all my friends to start or continue exercising, and I want them to do every C2V with me this summer And, a goal I have been after for some time is busting out one unassisted pull-up. That is going to be a great day! I don’t feel like I’ve reached a resting point or finished anything. The determination to improve is as urgent now as it was while looking at those photos two summers ago.
See ya in class!
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