My journey over the past few  months has been…well, quite the whirlwind to say the least! After leaving my path of “certainty” and entering a life of entrepreneurship, I have had a lot of time to really think about what drives me and gets me truly fired up every day. As much as I want to say that I wake up every morning, lace up my running shoes, run to the top of the state capital stairs and do a victory dance at the top (all to the theme of “Eye of the Tiger” like Rocky Balboa, of course), I have to admit my days are not quite filled with this insane intensity. However, I have began to figure out that I am ultimately passionate about two big ideas. First, I love documenting people and showing the world just how truly incredible they really are. I believe that everyone is insanely unique and wonderful in their own ways and I am seriously so lucky to be in a business that allows me to connect with so many amazing human beings. My second passion is witnessing other’s passions grow and light this world on fire! Seriously, I get so excited seeing other’s pursue what they love and not being afraid to yell it from the top of a mountain! I love to be that person standing at the peak next to them shouting, “WE can do this!”.

As a personal dream chaser, I want to begin showcasing other passionate individuals that follow their hearts and believe in making this world a better place by pursuing what they love to do. The first person that came to mind was a dear friend of mine, Laura Beckmann, founder of Laura Christine Health & Fitness. Laura is a driven fitness coach with a desire to constantly push past barriers and achieve the impossible. Her story is one that is going to make you believe that you can get through anything, even if you believe the odds are totally against you.

A successful student and wicked talented volleyball player, Laura began her adventure at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with four years of a volleyball career ahead of her. I have to admit, I’m a little jealous considering I feel like I am banned from beach volleyball since I have no vertical. For real, I think I make it like three inches off the ground. Yikes. Laura, on the other hand, had a passion for a sport that she could not live without and fully admits she loves to play every single day of the week and will never get tired of it. However, the unthinkable happened soon after she turned twenty-one. Believe it or not, Laura suffered from a heart attack despite being the perfect picture of health. In a matter of moments, her whole life was turned upside down and she found herself fighting for her life in a time when it was practically just beginning. She quickly went from bumps, sets, and spikes, to finding out she would be unable to finish her last two years of her volleyball career. Even worse, doctors told Laura she would never be able to perform any strenuous exercise for the rest of her life. Yes, I said it, the rest of her life.

Despite what the voices around her were saying, Laura was determined to become a new person after her near devastating health issues. After recovering, she got right back in a new saddle and began getting up to get to the gym at five a.m. and push herself, regardless of what the doctors had told her. She was determined to follow her heart even after it had literally quit. Currently, Laura is a fitness coach with a passion for educating and believing that others can better themselves in the same way she did for herself. Rather than making excuses, Laura embraces solutions. Her sheer determination and vision for a brighter future by investing time in one’s health is one that I find beyond admirable. Keep climbing mountains and busting down those barriers, girl. You’re a warrior in this crazy world.

Check out Laura Christine Health & Fitness: https://www.facebook.com/lcbeckmann/?fref=ts

 

Comments

comments