Growing up with injuries as a soccer and track and field athlete growing up, I know firsthand that it never stops at just the issue on hand. It might have started with knee pain, but it never ended there. The unease that came with uncertainty. Will it get worse? How much longer do I have to deal with this? Will I be able to compete at the level I used to? Can I get back to playing at all? Am I going to be replaced? …Should I give up? The longer the problem stayed, the more my identity was stripped and taken from me.

Even after I left the world of competitive sports, my time spent as a lifter and general fitness enthusiast continues to play an integral role in my life. Being forced to modify what I do or even stop altogether means more than just pressing pause on that part of my life.  I lose the mental and physical anchor that gives me peace in a chaotic world. The reminder of who I am and what I stand for in a tumultuous life that threatens to lead me astray. And most importantly, the cornerstone in my life that reminds me I can face hardship head-on and ultimately reap benefits far reaching in both time and space. That I am consistently capable of short-term sacrifice for long term gratification. If I lose that, how could the rest of my life possibly remain unscathed?

I don’t know how much your problems have impacted you. I don’t know how long it’s kept you from living the life you always wanted, and how wide that chasm is. But I hope no matter how expansive it is, how bleak the future may look, that you never lost sight of the other side. What could be if you make it through this. But if life pushed your head down and forced you off that path, then let me tell you it is not impossible. You can continue to put in the work, even when all seems lost. With some guidance from someone who gets it, you can believe once again. Bridge that gap. Create the life you always dreamed of. Through renewed belief you can create any life you can dream of. That is BeCreate. This is my mission.