Breaking Limits: My Journey to Strength and Confidence

I have been on a physical empowerment journey since the early 2000s.? I had been diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, which is a story in and of itself and I won’t go into it.? However, during that time of healing, I was at a point where I thought I had been doing everything I could to heal.? One day I asked my husband, “What else can I do to help my healing?” He said I was not working out, try adding that. And that is where it started.

Fast forward to 2025 and, as of today (as a 62-year-old woman), I can squat 240 pounds in a squat cage with a free weight.? I can deadlift 150 and I can do 3 unassisted pullups. I often hear at the gym, “Wow, you are so inspiring!” which is nice, it feels good…but when I say “You can do it too,” I hear hesitancy from the other woman.

I think there is a body of growing evidence that women are often not encouraged as young girls to challenge themselves physically.? They are not taught to fail, push through, and persevere physically, and then at some point, they decide that they can’t do it. Girls often lack that somatic knowing that they can push through with their physical bodies and persevere through difficult experiences. That lack of confidence then can often translate into a lack of confidence to do anything that seems too hard or daunting.

I definitely had a compelling “why” that got me to the gym.? I want to regain my health.? I did not go into the gym and say, “I want to be a powerlifter,” I went in and said, “I’m going to do the lazy girl workout.”? I gave myself a lot of room to just show up and do something low-stakes and build confidence in myself.? The compelling “why” kept me coming back, and the confidence in my grit and perseverance is what grew out of that.? My confidence to do hard things, not only at the gym but also out in my personal and professional life, grew as well.? I think that is the important thing to see. When we push ourselves as women to do hard things, especially physically hard things, it helps build the confidence to do that same thing throughout the rest of our lives!?

So what is the physical challenge you want to take on?? And why do you want to do that thing?? Whatever the answer is, look even deeper into what is important about that. At some point, if you keep peeling the onion, you will come up with a truly compelling “why” that should suck you towards it, rather than a “should” you feel like you have to push yourself toward.