This past long weekend, I achieved one of the goals I had written in my 2026 workbook: competing in HYROX Ottawa stronger, faster, and more confident than before.
I crossed the finish line at 1:47:44 which was 10 minutes faster than my previous race. On paper, 10 minutes may not sound monumental, but when every second is earned through months of disciplined training, mindset shifts, recovery, and resilience, it represents growth in its purest form. I was proud to place 5th in my age group (59–64) and 3rd among Canadian competitors, but the real victory was something far greater.
I arrived.
Not just at a finish line, but at a deeper understanding of what it truly takes to move through the hard days, quiet the resistance in your mind, and keep moving toward a goal even when every part of you wants to stop.
In my workbook, I write about the “Moment of Arrival”, the realization that transformation doesn’t happen overnight. Arrival is not a single destination. It is built through intentional choices, daily actions, setbacks, self-belief, and the courage to continue when things get uncomfortable.
HYROX Ottawa reminded me that belief matters.
There were moments in training when I questioned whether I could improve. Certainly, there were MO’ments during the race when fatigue tried to negotiate with my mind. Belief, strengthened through preparation and support, carried me forward.
And support matters too.
We are not meant to arrive alone.
For the past six months, my husband Ken has supported every training day, every exhausting recovery day, every training conversation in the car to and from my personal training sessions, and every emotional high and low that came with preparing for this event. Alongside my trainer Vanessa, he stood there cheering me on right to the very last, yes, bloody last (100th) wall ball, alongside my daughter, daughter-in-law and grandsons. In those final moments, when exhaustion was louder than logic, their belief and vocal countdown in me helped carry me through.
What many people didn’t see behind the scenes was that while I was training for HYROX, I am also navigating a personal health challenge. There were days when training became more than preparation for competition, it became therapy, focus, purpose, and a healthy distraction from uncertainty. Every workout reminds me that the body and mind are incredibly resilient when challenged with intention.
More importantly, this experience reinforced something powerful within me: I can and will face any health challenge with the same strength, resilience, discipline, and competitive spirit that carried me across that finish line.
As someone who has spent a lifetime in the fitness industry, I continue to be reminded that coaches, instructors, and trainers change lives every single day. They do more than improve performance. They provide the belief, accountability, expertise, and encouragement that help people keep going when motivation fades, move through what feels hard, and achieve more than they would have achieved on their own.
That is powerful.
No matter what kind of arrival you are working toward, a race, renewed health, greater confidence, a career shift, or personal growth, I encourage you to remember this:
- Believe in yourself.
- Surround yourself with people who support your goals.
- And don’t be afraid to invest in guidance, accountability, and expertise.
Because arriving at the finish line is rarely about talent alone.
- It’s about showing up consistently.
- Trusting the process.
- Accepting support.
- And continuing forward, one step, one rep, one MO’ment at a time.
Now it’s your turn.
- What are you working toward?
- Who is helping you get there?
- And what would become possible if you fully believed you could arrive?
MOre is possible than you think.
