My Athletic Journey

I was born in Washington D.C. and from a young age, I fell in love with moving my body outside, be that in the city or the woods. The outdoors became my sanctuary, and I steadily grew as an athlete, primarily in swim and track.

However, my  pursuit of an imagined physique took a toll on my mental and physical health through high school. Fueled by unrealistic standards, toxic coaches, gender dysphoria, and social pressures, my athletic performance declined and I became injured. I developed  multiple eating disorders and an exercise addiction that robbed me of my happiness. At the College of William and Mary in Virginia I took a step back from competitive athletics and found my love of outdoor recreations and for the subjects of environmental science and kinesiology.

I found that when I was alone in outdoor spaces,  my appearance and performance didn't  matter to anyone but me. All that mattered was my health and getting to the places I wanted to go! However, I was still afraid to step into a gym out of fear of judgement.

It wasn't an easy road, but through immense self-reflection, persistence, and education I found confidence both in the gym and outside by shifting my relationship with athletics and nutrition from a place of punishment to nourishment. During my recovery I had the privilege to travel all over the country working as an outdoor sports instructor, coach, professional climbing guide and outdoor educator.