Words of coleader Travis about our November Project Tribe member & Positivity Award winner Staci:
I am always impressed with how dedicated you are while always keeping an awesome, fun, and snarky attitude! You really are an integral part of this family, and we are extremely glad you’re here! I can’t wait to see what you achieve as you keep pushing your fitness to the next level.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Staci!
See that face? That face is one of pure joy, excitement, and surprise. When Allison and Travis, our fearless tribe leaders, told me I had been chosen to carry the oar for a month, I was genuinely not expecting such an honor. I remember saying, “Really? All I do is just show up!” As it turns out, that’s exactly the point – and it’s exactly that simple.
I first joined November Project Orlando, then called Orlando Fit Project, after seeing a post on the Meetup app. The group meets right in my neighborhood, so I walk each week to join the tribe for bouncing, creative workouts, and sweaty hugs. I was quite nervous to come given my past experience with an outdoor workout class ended quite poorly.
When I lived in South Texas, I joined an outdoor “bootcamp” workout class. I really enjoyed the class, as it was challenging each week. I wanted to see how hard I could push myself, so one day I tried to jump over a hurdle. I somehow caught my left foot and tore…. Ready for this…? My ACL, my quad muscle, sprained the other ligaments in my knee, and all the force caused small bone fractures that ruptured the fluid sac around my joint. This latter problem was not detected on MRIs, so I almost lost my leg during that initial surgery when fluid started flowing into my leg instead of out the drains. Thank goodness for the technician who happened to be holding my leg when he noticed something wrong.
I could not walk for about six months. I was in physical therapy so often that I became friends with my therapists. As in we still talk today, five years later. Once the failed surgery occurred, I needed to wait before they could try again to repair my ACL so I used a cane and KT tape for months when I was strong enough to lose the crutches and brace. The problem was I was moving during that window so could not have surgery again until after arriving in my new home.
I had to pack my apartment by myself, literally one thing at a time. I had to wait until my parents arrived to reach anything higher than I could stretch my arms. I moved to Mississippi and had surgery two weeks later. The man who fixed my knee is the team doctor for all the Mississippi State University athletics teams, so I was in good hands. He removed all the scar tissue that had basically locked my joint in place. He did not replace my ACL, instead waiting to see if this scar tissue removal worked “enough.” It did. He told me I will never play college football (darn it!) and that I am destined to have arthritis. My knee is basically stable, but I cannot do anything that requires pivoting or sudden turning. (That Zumba class I tried once was pretty brutal!) Today my hamstring does the work my missing ACL cannot so that often gets sore quickly.
I still have a weird fear of working out, thinking I am going to tear up a knee again. Most people with such injuries likely experience the same thoughts. So on my first day of Orlando Fit Project, Allison announced we would be jumping onto benches. No ma’am!! I do not jump over, near, next to, around, on top of, etc. I do some jumping activities but modify when I can. Immediately I thought on that morning, “What have I done?” But then something great happened. I told Allison I wasn’t going to jump, and she said, “Okay, just step up.” No judgment. No pushing. Just acceptance.
I knew I found my people. Plus there are sweaty hugs! I immediately embraced (pun totally intended) the concept and got hugs from Dave, Rosie, and Nathan on that first morning. From those first meetings, the tribe has grown, and I am proud to call many of these people my friends. Regena is my reliable, beautiful, encouraging workout buddy (that’s us epically photo bombing our friends) who pushes me to be better each session and beyond. I have marveled at Hung who runs ultras seemingly every week, and Danielle and Nikki who make running marathons look like a walk in the park. I have coaxed Kristine, Sandra, and Claudia into spinning with me, and each month the tribe organizes social outings where we all wear actual clothing – not workout clothing!
Since joining NP Orlando, I feel stronger and happier. Travis said something to me one morning that has helped me tremendously. For me, 2017 is all about feeling good in my own skin. I am constantly negative about myself, how I look, how fast I am, how strong I am. You name it, I have probably said something negative about it to myself. One morning as I was lamenting my slow running times he said to me that most people who do organized runs don’t do them to win; they do them for fun. At that moment I realized I needed to have more fun with my running and just be happy I can do it. And that is exactly what I have done.
In April 2016, I completed my first half marathon. Since then I have done four more with additional runs on the horizon. My favorite part of participating in running events is now knowing someone at the finish line. In January of this year, my friend/tribe member Nathan waited for me to finish the Celebration half marathon here in Florida. I say waited because he is fast. Lightning fast. It took me almost double the time to finish, and he waited in the cold and rain for me. Here is a photo of us with our medals, me looking ridiculous as always. That generous spirit is in Nathan and everyone from NP.
But I did it. I am coming to accept myself more each day. I even took my shirt off during spin class and rode only in a sport bra. That was a huge moment for me, thinking people would automatically make fun of how I looked. No. One. Cared. To me that’s the beauty of being around people working on themselves – they understand. My tribe pushes me each week to be not only stronger but a better person, a better professor, a better mentor. I see their posts on social media, and each and every one of them inspires me daily. I was guarding the oar for a month, but in reality it belongs to all of us. And my face says everything I feel about our tribe. #OYea
Join Staci and the rest of our Tribe every Wednesday and see for yourself what this #freefitness community is all about.
When: Wednesdays 6:29am
Where: by Gators Dockside Baldwin Park, 4953 New Broad St, Orlando FL
Cost: $0 always
Bring: yourself
What: free workout, modifiable for all fitness levels
Who: you, friends, family, strangers – all paces, faces, shapes, sizes, abilities welcome
