On my Mother: green and white tee / black 3.4 leggings (she’s 5′ for reference) / white street sneakers /

On me: Coral tie tee / black track pants (love these! Last seen here) / mint running shoes /

Can you believe Mother’s Day is almost here? This year is flying by! Mother’s Day has two meanings for me every year; it is a day when my kids celebrate me, and a day when I celebrate my own Mom. This Mother’s Day season, I wanted to share with you something important my Mom taught me; which is one of the many reasons I celebrate her!

My Father passed away when I was a baby, and as a result, it was always my Mom and I when I was growing up. So, when my Mom participated in activities, such as fitness, she used to bring me along, since I was too little to leave home alone.

I have fond memories of sitting on the side of a room while my Mom attended a yoga class. I also remember tagging along to her Belly Dancing classes; Belly Dancing was a huge fitness trend in the 1970’s, and my Mom loved it-she was really good at it too! She also attended aerobics classes at an aerobic studio, where I watched her lift colorful weights, wear colorful leotards, and jump around the room. It really looked like fun! My Mom also played tennis at a local club, took me for walks, and took me bike riding. She didn’t just get fit herself, she ensured I had plenty of active time too!

As I got older, my Mom encouraged me to participate in sports. She took me to gymnastics, ice skating, track, volleyball, and swimming classes. I competed, practiced, and had a ton of fun! When I turned ten years old, she told me I had to choose one sport in order to excel; I chose swimming.

Now, to put this in perspective, she was a single Mom who worked, and volunteered at my school. By choosing swimming, I had picked the most time consuming sport of them all. She never complained or protested; she encouraged it! My Mom dutifully took me to swim practice every day, and she also drove hours to bring me to swim meets, which lasted all weekend. By the time I was in eighth grade, I was practicing twenty-five hours per week, and going to swim meets one or two weekends per month. This was a huge commitment, and my Mom rallied. She stood outside in the rain to cheer for me at swim meets, she stood outside in thirty-degree temperatures to cheer me on and watch me swim. If it was one hundred degrees in the summer, she was out there being my biggest cheerleader too. She was always there, and I loved her for it.

My Mom was a huge inspiration for me as a small child. I loved watching her stay fit. This led to me wanting to stay fit too. She taught me proper nutrition, and the importance of fitness as a lifestyle, not just an activity or part of a schedule. Due to my Mom’s dedication to fitness, she gave me to the tools to excel as a swimmer and compete at the International level. It was an injury that ended my swimming career in college, not my mental state. As an adult, I continue to place importance on fitness, and I pass this along to my children.

As a family, we plan fitness activities, and encourage each other to participate in sports and stay fit. My kids don’t have to work at a sport and go to the Olympics, but I want to ensure they live a healthy lifestyle and continue to live a fit life; just like my Mom.

My family loves wearing adidas when we workout. My Mom is addicted to their line of athletic shoes, and my kids love all of their tee’s, sweatshirts, and shoes. I, of course, adore them! My workout wardrobe is adidas. We love staying fit together, and we wear adidas while doing it.

How has your Mom helped you learn the importance of fitness?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

*sponsored by addias, all thoughts and opinions are my own