I’ve trained tons of women over the years, and I’m sometimes quietly asked the question about stretch marks and cellulite…can they really be erased? How do you know? Are there remedies?

Yes, and no. It’s a toughie, but in my experience, it depends on several factors, really. So in my Healthy Living Program, I’m unveiling all the facts, with videos and all! Sooner or later, we all have to face the music.

Here’s the deal: when I first competed in my 30’s, it was pre-baby. Then afterward, I stayed heavier, so I never noticed the stretch marks. Now, at 51 they’re shouting at me…railroad tracks all around my belly button and lower abs, all white and squiggly. Oh yeah, and the cellulite is there too. When did THAT happen?

It almost made me want to cancel my figure competition….but then I re-grouped. I asked myself, “what am I really competing for now?” So I did the SHIFT (as I call it) and reframed it.

I’m competing for excellence, not perfection. I want to, once again, put all of me into this. But this time around, I am competing from a very different place, with a very different sense of self. 

The main reason I’m doing it is for my son, Tristan, who gives me inspiration and strength every day, to go above and beyond and to never, ever give up. I train because I have a responsibility to him, and others who cannot know the pleasure of being housed in an able body. I will be there, stretch marks and all. And with sheer gratitude for all things dear.

The dedication page of my book says it all, and will be read as I walk on stage….

“For Tristan
Who has taught me that true strength is not measured by one’s muscle.
It is measured by one’s heart.
Wherever you go, I will always be there.”

mom

Excerpt from One Rep at a Time: An athlete and mother reveals the secrets to creating inner power and serenity. Available on Amazon.com