Where to begin?!
Life has been incredibly busy these past few months since returning home fromNorthern Irelandthat I feel like I have not had the chance to sit down and write a proper blog in quite some time – my apologies to those who keep track of the Team Forever mission through my website!
I have been blessed to have plenty of great speaking opportunities as of late to help continue funding the Forever Fund. One thing I am very proud to write is that I have launched my professional speaking business, ‘Every Breath A Gift’! My paid corporate speaking engagements are a great challenge, and I take a portion of my fee to continue funding the charity. It is very important to me to continue building my speaking resume, but just as important to continue giving back!
‘Every Breath A Gift’ primarily disseminates the ‘Seven Essentials to Success’ which we have developed as an idea around the ‘Oceans Seven’ channel swims, and the corporate lessons I have learned working in the investment arena since graduating Penn State in 2005. It has long been a dream to build a speaking business aligned around endurance athletics, and I have been blessed to build an athletic and professional resume which allowed me to build my speaking platform. If your organization, or know anyone looking for a professional speaker to help motivate and inspire your team of employees, students or athletes, I would love to be on your side! Please contact me via [email protected], or 724-468-1062. I promise it will be worth your time!
As far as training goes, I have been swimming but also running a lot lately; including the 25KMarshallMangler Trail Run in North Park, and the Bucks County Marathon outside ofPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania. Trying to lose that channel fat! Prior to marathon swimming, I had a brief history (due to injury) running marathons and ultra-marathons. I really love the feeling of traversing the woods so much more than the pavement, and am very excited to be running free of injury. I have some plans for the coming year in running, but also to crew, support and help other aspiring marathon swimmers to achieve their dreams! I want to give back to the sport I have grown to love, and cannot think of a better way than supporting others along their individual quests. Anything I can do to help, please let me know!
With other business ventures in the hopper, I will hold off to report on them until we get them up and running. One of those aspects I really hope for is the ‘Three Rivers Marathon Swim’ this upcoming summer. Stay tuned, as I am trying to rally the troops to pull this one off! Ah, so excited for everything coming up!
While the sun may not have been out today, or it is gloomy and raining outside, let us be thankful for all the AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL people who love us in our lives! Let’s remember those who have passed before us and left a mark on our souls. What examples did they give us? What life lessons did we learn? Let’s take a minute to be THANKFUL for all the beauty around us each and every day. While there is a lot of darkness in the world, we all have to go through a little darkness of our own in order to grow and become the person we want to be. Never tire on your life goals, and never quit until they are obtained. Time is never on our side, and since we do not know when we will breath our final breath, take some time to analyze the life we are living. Are we happy? If not, what sacrifices are we willing to make in order to get us there? Life is too damn short to give every day anything less than our best. While we sometimes become angry with a tough day, or sometimes lives with a chip on our shoulder because someone ‘wronged’ us, rememeber those family and friends who have impacted your life for the better. What would they say if you complained about life being hard? LIVE IT UP FOR THEM – I’m sure they wished they had a breath today!
Be courageous, be daring, BE WILD – but most importantly, BE YOURSELF! You will make it through your challenge – all you have to do it BELIEVE!!
CHEERS TO ADVENTURE!