As a high achiever, things can look good from the outside, yet true learning and growth required one to dig deep. Overcoming self-doubt, pleasing others, showing off, and trying too hard are some of the challenges that I have worked hard to turn into gold. And I had to do it before I totally wrecked myself.
There are infinite possibilities for what we can create in this world. We have the ability to heal our bodies, change rapidly, do amazing things, overcome challenges, create new possibilities, reverse aging, & manifest our dreams. When I look deeply into someone’s eyes with curiosity, wanting to know what lights them up, what experiences have shaped them, and what dreams they have, then they come to life. We are all unique with our own set of experiences, perspectives, and tools to offer the world. Undoubtedly, we are all amazing, beautiful, and full of potential. I love to help people harness their wild dreams, wisdom, and potential to manifest in this world.
I grew up in Georgia playing every sport I could find. As a Freshman in high school I lettered in 5 varsity sports and graduated with 23 letters.
I played basketball and softball on scholarship for 2 years at a junior college. My senior year of college I did an exchange program in Utah where I fell in love with the mountains.
Following college, I traveled around Europe, with my husband, Todd. We had the trip of a lifetime as I expanded my ideas of what was possible in the world. I practiced surviving on very little and I began to shape my dreams and desires.
After, I found a job working in a Wilderness Survival program for troubled youth in southern Utah. I traded a vision of being a pediatrician for a calling of the wild. I loved guiding kids to more deeply understand themselves, to heal, and learn accountability and confidence.
I would work for 6-8 months of the year and then travel and play for 4-6 months. My husband and I had amazing adventures all around the world. Many of our adventures are stories to remember, with some very close calls in the mountains. Yet we survived and we learned a ton.
After 8 years, I asked myself, “What is the next coolest job I can think of?”. ‘Mountain guide’ popped into my mind. Excitingly, we went for it. We moved to Bellingham and a year later we began guiding.
I lead people to some of the world’s highest peaks like the highest peak in North America, Denali; the highest peak in South America, Aconcagua; the highest peak in Antarctica, Mt. Vinson; the highest peak in Mongolia, Mt. Kuiten; and many trips to Nepal’s Everest Base Camp and several 20K foot peaks there. I also got certified as an AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guide. It was both terrifying and exhilarating leading these adventures.
Excitingly, I got to guide some first ascents of several small peaks in Antarctica as well as land a few first ski descents. Importantly, in the mountains, I began learning how to the humble, trust myself, & push my boundaries.
Next we started our own guide company called In The Company of Guides. I have guided people on ski trips in Alaska, and off of boats in the fjords of Norway & Svalbard.
Undoubtedly, I wanted to tone down my globe trotting and be home for my son, plus I needed some healing myself. Therefore, I stopped traveling as much and learned the habits of Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a 5000 year old practice that evolved alongside yoga that helps us get in sync with nature’s rhythms. Following this, I got certified as a Yoga Health Coach and began teaching courses in addition to my local backcountry ski guiding and rock climbing. I founded my own company called Vibrant Health Evolution.
Then, in 2012, I got pregnant in Antarctica as my husband and I were setting up the mountain together for future groups. I proceeded to guide two trips up Mt Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica, and lead a ski trip to the South Pole in my first trimester.
Being a mother has expanded my capacity to love. It is the most challenging and rewarding thing I have ever done. I am so grateful for my son and the opportunity to be a mother.
I continue to redefine who I am and what I have to offer the world. As I do, I am expanding, learning more, and offering more. I finished my Leadership Coaching program through the Healthcare Coaching Institute in 2021. The program has made me a better person who can listen more deeply, hold people in a safe space of curiosity and wonder, and help people get what they want. I love coaching because I get to spend time looking for the gold in each client’s soul and bringing it to the light for them.
I have healed from wrist pain, joint pain, arthritis, back pain, knee pain, and more. I know how to heal my body with my mind, my emotions, and healing foods. I am masterful at healing. It was a journey of ‘do or die’. Well, ‘do or suffer’ is more like it, but I know I have also added years to my life.
Like the time I was crushing it at the State track meet in the 800M event. I sprinted the last 200M and passed 3 people by a long shot. Suddenly, near the finish line, I was trying too hard, and thinking I was not going fast enough even though I had yards in front of the next person. So, I tried harder, too hard. A limiting voice was arising that said, “I am not good enough, I must try harder.” I lengthened my stride too far. I tripped and splatted skidding down the track to let 2 people pass before I got up and over the line. Then I got to be right about not being good enough.
My desire to show off, lead me to completely blow up my knee. In my 20-year-old brain, it somehow made sense to me that if I wasn’t going to land the jump, then I should at least go big. “Go big or go home!”, as the saying goes. And I went big off the ski jump and fractured my tibial plateau, tore my ACL, and wrecked my meniscus.
Years later my orthopedic who scoped my knee, said, I should get a job sitting down and pick up biking. I cried for 3 days. Later I decided I would choose to be happy no matter what. However, I did think that I would never be able to run. Now, I have created so much healing in my knee that I can run every day. Interestingly, I tell myself every day, “My knee is well!” and “I can heal my body.” Currently, I run up and down a steep trail 1500′ every other day. Furthermore, I guide people backcountry skiing all winter. I manage this through strength training, healthy eating, and powerfully leading my mind. I believe we are capable of way more than we realize.
In my career guiding, I suffered many injuries as I tried to learn how not to let my ego get in the way. I was still trying to show off and seek approval from others. The moment I was worried about what others thought, I would lose my focus and get injured. Some of my injuries were overuse injuries. I was not listening to my body. I moved as if I had something to prove.
I have had 5 knee surgeries, 3 surgeries on my feet, and wrist surgery. Through these, I slowly learned to hear my old stories and programs. I took the ‘I am Not Good Enough Story’, and began to mold it into something new. Every injury has been a chance to learn and grow. When I got tired of suffering, I took a deep dive into what stories were holding me back. Eventually, I was able to choose a better feeling story and thus create a new reality.
In addition, while working in the wilderness program, I began looking inside to realize I felt empty like there was a big hole in my heart. I cried curled up in the fetal position. I wept many times over not feeling good enough. Yet, I set on a journey to heal. I did a Vision Quest for 3 days solo with no food to try to find myself. I did many sweat lodges and I journaled as I was seeking to understand my path and who I was. The path began then, and continues now, as I realize I will never stop learning and growing! Fortunately, now I feel full. My heart is overflowing with love and gratitude. My life is extraordinary. It has not been easy, but definitely worth it every step of the way.
Old habits die hard. This story has been with me since childhood and seemed as stubborn as a mule to make its way out of my life. It would have been easier to give up on trying, but certainly, life was going to keep serving me challenges until I succeeded in creating a better story.
When my son was born, I had back pain for 6 years. I felt like an old lady. It hurt to jump on the trampoline with him. Getting out of bed was painful. I tried many healing remedies from PT to chiropractic, to massage. Importantly, my success came when I learned how to Control my Mind and Energy. When I shifted my story, then I created a path of healing. I declared to myself, “My back is well!”, and then I figured out how to live into that reality. Now I have healed many chronic pain injuries.
My life journey has been about learning to approve of myself instead of needing it from others. I have had to learn how to love myself. Learning to Accept me and talk kindly to myself took a lot of focus as the old habits of criticism die hard. Yet, I did it, and I know you can too. Now I choose to serve others instead of pleasing them, and that has made all the difference.
For me, the goal is to combine all of my training and experience to uplift and guide others and to take a vibrant approach to life. It is AMAZING to see people in their highest light and watch them do incredible things. As a coach, I help others see their own wisdom, creativity, and power so they realize their dreams and how to manifest them. That also means recognizing old patterns that keep us stuck, and creating new ones to move us forward.
After my son was born, I wanted three things:
Firstly, I trained in Ayurveda habits which required me to completely shift around many of my habits. It was hard, and I was resistant, as we often are to change. However, I plugged away one thing at a time. I feel so dang good, I will never go back to my old habits.
Then I became a certified Yoga Health Coach, and I began teaching Ayurveda habits.
Next, I dove deep into Nutrition and what I could give my body so that I could thrive. Years of study and exploration helped me to find a way that really worked for me. I feel vibrant that I don’t miss all the crap at all. I will never go back.
Now, I have healed my wrist pain and back pain that I had for over 6 years. In addition, I have lowered my stress, improved my sleep, and in general, I have lots of energy. Most importantly, I guess, is that I feel healthy and happy.
Don’t get me wrong though, I am far from done with learning. In fact, I strive to grow more every day. And I recognize that my perspective is just one in this world. I am open to your perspective too! I want to hear your dreams, what has worked for you, and who you are becoming. I want to help you cultivate your most VIBRANT WILD SELF.
“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life — and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
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