Samantha Smith
“I am feeling excited and a bit nervous to start this challenge. I hope to achieve body confidence, strength, and overall healthy lifestyle changes that will be sustainable going forward.”
STARTING STATS
Weight 223 lbs
Chest 43″
Upper Ab 37.5″
Belly Button 46.5″
Hips 48.5″
Tara Street
“To be completely honest, I am feeling anxious and thrilled all at the same time. I am looking forward to being a part of a team and having that accountability to each other. I look forward to having these amazing resources to help guide me through this stage of my life and I hope to achieve a sustainable healthy lifestyle that balances family, work, and self.”
Weight 187.2 lbs
Chest 39″
Upper Ab 33″
Belly Button 39.5″
Hips 47″
Sept 24 Update:
What has been the most difficult part of the challenge for you to date?
Samantha: This challenge has been an adjustment and these first few weeks have seemed to be a combination of getting through the stiff muscles and pushing past the mental game. However, I have been learning to lean into the uncomfortable because we can’t just wish for change, we have to work for it. So I don’t like to think of it as what was difficult but more of what was uncomfortable and how can I use that to help push me into a better version of myself.
Tara: I really made sure I was coming in to this challenge with a “put in the work” mindset. So, it was just about getting into the groove of things and planning out my weeks so that my family and I knew the plan. The work outs have been taking me past what I thought were my limits and nothing feels “easier” yet, that’s for sure! The meal planning has actually been a relief. With kids in school and getting back in to the hustle of life, having that information laid out for me has been so helpful!
Oct 8 Update:
How has working with a teammate helped you in this challenge?
Samantha: My teammate Tara is amazing, she has helped me overcome so much during this first month of this challenge, some of which she might not ever know. We are all on some kind of health and wellness journey and I believe we all can learn something from each other. Tara and I typically bond over soreness and level of difficulty in the workouts. We lean on each other when we need to and when we do have a chance to do workouts together, we push each other to keep going because we know we are much more capable then we lead ourselves to believe. She drives me (quite literally some days) with her determination, encouragement and accountability. She helped me realize that it is okay to take time away from the family to better yourself. I am glad she took that first step in asking me to sign up with her and I feel incredibly grateful for her, not only as a friend, but also as my teammate.
Tara: Having my teammate during this challenge has been awesome! It has been nice to have someone to check in with about positive things like “How did class go?” and “How are you feeling?” I have really enjoyed making plans with her, organizing our schedules to try and get at least one or two workouts in together and pushing each other out of our comfort zones to try new things. It is easy to forget and get lost in the crazy of our current situation and having someone to go through this with has helped me remember how good it feels to connect with people and support each other. I am grateful that she was up for applying for the challenge with me, we are having a lot of fun and I am excited to see the changes in both of us at the end.
Oct 21 Update:
What has been your biggest win in the challenge so far?
Samantha: These last couple of months in the challenge have been filled with a great amount of personal growth and success, matched with many aches and pains. If I had to pick one big win, I would have to say the connections I have made. Not only the mind and body connection, which helped me recognize where I need to heal and grow internally, but also the community connections. Whether it was taking part in the pumped-up atmosphere of Orange Theory Fitness, the calming vibes at The Yoga Junction, or gaining nutritional knowledge from Simply for Life, it has been, and continues to be, such an amazing opportunity to experience and connect in these different avenues of the health and wellness community.
Tara: It is hard to limit my biggest win from this challenge to just one thing. The most noticeable win for me has been the connection of mind and body, I have been struggling for a while with being able to connect the two and I am finally seeing that positive shift into unity again. The sense of community and care given by everyone at Orangetheory Fitness, The Yoga Junction and Simply for Life has made this such a wonderful experience and really imprinted for me that understanding of mind and body both needing equal care.
I also have to note another big win out of this challenge, and that is the friendship that I have grown with Sami. We started out as friendly neighbours that made small talk in the driveway, but now I truly feel I have gained a friend. I look forward to our carpooling chats and meet ups for workouts or yoga. I have loved watching Sami push outside her comfort levels and see her true abilities. She is a strong and determined women with a beautiful soul and I am so grateful to be doing this beside her.
