Our Mission:
To bring together health and fitness information that continues to motivate and inspire movement within each and every one of us to live our lives to the fullest.
When my fiancé and I started Get Fit SATX, we had one goal in mind: to get San Antonio (especially the Southside) healthier, happier, and more active. We have since then, been a part of the Mayors Fitness in the Park initiative, grown our one Wednesday workout to two workouts on Monday AND Wednesday (and all of the classes are full), to possibly adding a third day and maybe even a fourth day. We have focused on sliming people down and making them feel better about themselves. We want them to try a 5K race, possibly a 10K race, or even a half and full marathon if they have not tried to do so.
But as I was lying in bed, listening to the much appreciated rain falling on our rooftop, I was wondering how did I get into this health kick? Was it because my cholesterol levels, sugar levels, blood pressure levels out of whack? I can honestly say, that is what started my mini health concern. Yes I would walk, do my crunches, push-ups, and any other little exercise I could do that wouldn’t over exert me. But when I went through my divorce, had my children every other weekend (and still not knowing when I am going to see them), put me in a major state of depression. My weight started to increase, blood pressure went back up, and I would eat myself into a mini induced coma. I was always tired, sleepy, and really didn’t care what people thought of me. UNTIL I met Athena.
Since then, she has pulled me out of this rut I was in, and has really shown me that I can make a difference. She has that positive attitude that makes this world a better place. If everyone had just an ounce of her optimism, I truly believe we can conquer World Peace, put an end to hunger and end Human Trafficking (which is what she is passionate about).
Athena grew up in the a mid-size college town of Lubbock, Tx. She also grew up in a divorced household and a not very stable one at that. Some of the stories she would talk to me about (which I would rather not share) really had me thinking “how did she not live a life of drugs, sex, and every other unfortunate thing youngsters are faced with today?”. The pain, the anguish, the hurt that was put in front of her at the age of 5, could have turned her to the “dark side” of society. But, she knew then, nothing was going to hold her back from what she was put on this earth to do.
Now, with the way society is, there are always open doors to the life of drugs, prostitution, theft, but she chose another outlet. She chose to run. Running is such a passion for her. She takes so much pride in her form, technique, and races that she runs in. I really cannot say winning is everything to her, but she does demand so much out of herself, and watching her finish a race, I can tell if she is satisfied with her results or if she knows she had more to give.
She started running at the age of 12 and has not turned back since then. When in High School at Coronado, the coaches would hound her to be on the track team and cross country team. She chose not to because she knew she ran for herself. She didn’t want anyone to tell her where to run, how much to run, or how to run. This was her getaway, her safe haven, her ZEN. And as in the movie “Forrest Gump”, she just kept running. Nothing or nobody was going to keep her from doing what she wanted to do. She graduated early from High School, which she wanted to do, and get out of the town of Lubbock, which she did.
Now remember, ALL of her family is from and is in Lubbock at this time, so when she moved to San Antonio, she was pretty much on her own. Well, she got pregnant, got married, and was working several jobs just to stay on her feet (no pun intended) and tried to make ends meet anyway she could. But once again, nothing was going to hold her back from what she truly wanted to do. RUN……..
As her baby (Gia) was in her tummy, she would run as much as she could for as long as she could. When she was born, as soon as the Doctor gave her the ok to run (I think it was sooner, but she is sticking with she waited) she started running. She did not have the money to buy those expensive jog strollers that you see people running with today. She would run with an umbrella stroller, or put her in the middle of a football field and continuously run around the track till she felt satisfied. To me that is dedication to her passion.
She then realized living like this was not going to work for her. She needed more, strive for more, get what is out there for her and her family. She enrolled at Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State). She would wake up at 4:30 am to run and workout, go home to shower and put Gia on the bus, drive from San Antonio to San Marcos everyday, before or after work, stay up late to study (midnight to two a.m.) and do it all over again the next day. She received her degree in 2002, and began working at the YMCA. She started at the bottom of the workforce ladder and quickly worked her way up into a managing position. She started several programs that are being used today. She also kick started several new locations of the YMCA like the Braundera location, which is one of the highest attended locations in San Antonio.
Currently she has her Masters Degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion, and works at Lackland Air Force Base with Diabetes Prevention. She is unbelievably passionate about her job, and is bringing home everything that she learns about the subject.
On top of all that she has accomplished so far, she still finds time to help others on her own time. She has trained an enormous amount of people for 5K’s, 10K’s, half and full marathons. She trained my aunt (who is in her 50’s) to run her first FULL marathon. Now this is a person who has never run a race in her life. She trained several of our friends who bettered their Personal Record by 30 minutes. And most of all, she trained me to run my first half marathon in Austin (’10 with a time of 1 hour of 1:58) and a full marathon in San Antonio (’10 with a time of 4:08).
Some of her accomplishments are: qualifying for the Boston Marathon twice, winning the Spartan Race Female division in Austin, Tx., and has completed 9 full marathons, along with countless first place, second place and third place medals in 5K’s and 10K’s. And she knows just about everyone at every race she runs. What is funny, is females and males make it a point to go up to her and let her know that they were trying to catch her but couldn’t.
If you look at her at a race, on the street, or at an event, you would never know what she has gone through to get where she is at right now. Her family is 6 hours away, she does not have her dad in her life, and her daughter is a mother now. Yes, she is a grandmother at 35.
I don’t know about you, but she has shown me that running is not just about losing weight. It is about fighting those demons that want to drag you down. The evil that lurks around the corner that wants to pull you into the darkness of loneliness.
She is the reason I am here (next to my son). She has shown me another way to release the bad vibes out of my body. She has shown me that I can make a difference in other people’s lives, whether it is through weight loss, or someone going through a hard time. Running does not have a weight limit, a special guest list, a certain requirement. Running has millions of people going through the same thing as you.
If you see Athena out at a race, at the gym, or just running on the streets of San Antonio, which she often does, give her the thumbs up, just don’t honk at her, you may get another finger.
Remember, evil loves partners, but so do all of the runners at the races and workouts.
Athena, you are my inspiration, my rock, my endurance. You are the reason I am the healthiest I have ever been. You are a true role model to my son, and he also loves you with all of his heart. Thank you for introducing us to so many new things and showing us there is much more to life than tacos and tv. We love you and are so happy you are in our lives.
