My father epitomized strength and discipline. My mother epitomizes self-care and love. As a Registered Dietitian, she taught us the importance of good food and the real impact it has on the body. Together, they built my foundation.
That foundation was tested when I contracted long COVID. Multiple doctors misdiagnosed me, leaving me frustrated, confused, and disappointed in our medical system. Accessible data was what was missing. Process of elimination is ultimately how I landed on my own diagnosis.
Instead of accepting a lifetime of medication, I rebuilt. I restructured my diet, healed from the inside, and set myself a goal extreme enough to match what I was facing: I would complete an Ironman triathlon.
I not only finished Lake Placid, one of the most demanding Ironman courses on the circuit, but went on to complete a half dozen more races, including winning the Oyster Bay Triathlon in my age group. Each race sharpened my understanding of what my body was capable of. Then came the Latin American Ironman Championship, 140.6 miles.
Mile 15 of the run, I bonked. I had trained hard, but every decision — my nutrition, my conditioning, my pacing — was built on instinct and guesswork. The temperatures were unlike anything I had faced before, but I applied the same approach that had worked elsewhere. I had nothing to tell me otherwise. I finished. But finishing wasn't the point.
"Complete or Compete."
Crossing the finish line is one thing. Knowing you gave everything your body was actually capable of is something else entirely. I didn't leave that race knowing what I was truly capable of. That stayed with me.
Prehab Performance Lab exists, in part, because of all of it. Because no one should have to diagnose themselves, and because no goal should be built on guesswork.
USA Triathlon All World Athlete
Ironman Competitor
USA Boxing Certified Trainer