How Ironman Training Helped a Wife Find Her True Passion – From Stuck to Unstuck!
Have you ever had a friend who you shares your same story/journey but in a totally different circumstance? That’s my friend Tara. We live the same, but different, lives. Which makes for one amazing cohesive and supportive friendship. Today I asked her BACK  to share her story. You’re gonna want to read this over and over. Just sayin..
I am always so honored when Lindsay lets me share her space. Â I love telling stories here because you Cotter Crunch peeps are some of the most kind and engaged readers anywhere.Â
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Tara Newman. Â I’m a Success Coach, mom of two ridiculously active littles, and the wife of an age-group triathlete. Â I believe in challenging the status quo, finding joy, and making this life count.
Today I want to share a small part of my story.
For 10 years I have had the vision of leaving my corporate coaching job behind to help smart, successful people develop the skills they need to lead successful lives and businesses.
 I have spent a lot of time stuck and mired in the day to day drudgery that comes with a typical busy life.
 When my kids were little I spent a lot of time locked in the bathroom crying.  New motherhood wasn’t kind to me.
 Adrenal fatigue and chronic exhaustion kept me in my slump for longer than I care to admit.
I hid for a long time – coffee, candy crush, and cocktails kept me company.
And then my husband got this BIG idea to complete an Ironman Triathlon (2.4 mile swim/112 mile bike/26.2 mile run). Â While he was doing the training, everything else fell on me to take care of for the 18 months that he trained.
It was long and arduous journey for both of us.
We put much of our lives on hold so we could focus on getting him across that finish line.
People thought I was nuts for supporting him so passionately. They saw me as weak and without my own interests. Â What they didn’t see was how healing it was for me to support him since I had spent so much time blaming him for my circumstances.
At first I was bitter about putting my dreams on hold so he could pursue his. There were tears and harsh words.
But if I’m being honest, I didn’t know what my dreams were. Â
I was STILL adrift even though my kids were getting older.
I never thought that someone as success-focused and driven as I was would ever feel so lost.
As we progressed through this Ironman training journey, the lessons became deep and meaningful – commitment, sacrifice, self management, productivity, selflessness, pain, love.
These lessons had an unexpected and profound impact on me.
I gained back the mental strength I lost from living with chronic illness.
I gained back my self-confidence.
I remembered how to trust my heart.
Ironman training helped me rebuild something I thought was lost – my passion.Â
And it did something else.
Standing in the shadows of my husband’s triumph helped me see how small I had been playing.
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Within a few months I forked over the money to redesign my website – to take it from hobby blog to business site (it’s almost done!).
In January, I hired a coach, a mentor, and joined a group mastermind (Hey, if he can pay for race entry fees!).
I launched my business and experienced tremendous success.
I proved you can go from Stuck to Unstoppable in no time if you are willing to get real and do the work.
Now I spend my days supporting entrepreneur, small business owners, and professionals push through their discomfort zone and start playing (a little) bigger. Together we redefine success and balance so they can achieve their highest potential on their own terms.
If you want to learn more about how you can step into your purpose, sign up for From Stuck to Unstoppable.  It’s everything a success seeker like you needs to push through the status quo in your life, business, career, or relationships.
PS.
From Stuck to Unstoppable starts April 20 and I am offering an awesome bonus for people who sign up before April 10.  You get a complimentary one-on-one session with me  —> HERE.Â
You can find more program details here>>>HERE
Case Studies/Testimonials:
From Uninspired to Awesome: A Case Study
Stuck? Your New Life Starts Here
How will your unique gifts shape the world?
[Tweet “How a Wife Found her true passion while Supporting her Husband! @familysportlife #fitfluential #tri “]
Where to connect with Tara via Social Media:
p.s
Please take a moment to go read and support my friend Jenny ‘s post on Lyme disease awareness.
Tara, I can not even begin to express just how important it is to have support teams while people are training for races. I have even realized the value of cheering people on at races, but I think that what you gave to your husband during his training was so priceless, and it’s so cool that you’re giving that to others!
I can completely relate to where you were, I have 3 aged 4 and under. Obviously a huge blessing, but it also a time when it is hard to feel like yourself. Is inspiring to see how far you have come. I will definitely look into your consulting services.
Love, love, love this and can relate in more ways than I can possibly describe! Thank you so much for sharing your story, Tara!
Wow AnnMarie! Thanks for all the love.
What an inspiring story! It really goes to show that we can find our passion in all sorts of ways 🙂
Thanks Jess! I find we learn more from being challenged and pressed then from when everything is smooth sailing.
This is awesome!!! Tara has a gift for helping others while fulfilling her own passion!
Thanks Kim! xoxo
Wow, I love this. Any time I see a story like this, finding your passion (or re-finding it!), I just adore it!
Thanks Jolene!
I definitely need help – stuck for sure but been working on “unsticking” myself. I am broke but when I have the money, I may think more about this… Great post!
Jodi
Feel free to take me up on the 30 min free session. I work with all my clients around their thoughts on money to show them how the can bring more abundance to them. We can do a 30 min intensive.
I also offer discounts, free sessions, and giveaways in my private Facebook group–>https://www.facebook.com/groups/1402334170080620/
In many ways, I feel as if you were writing about me. Burnt out in a corporate job that I don’t hate, but that I’m not passionate about. The only difference is I do know what I am passionate about and what I want to do. But I have not figured out how to do it yet. You are my inspiration that it can be done!
Megan, it ABSOLUTELY can be done. This is a time where there is tremendous opportunity for those willing to be courageous and pursue their passions. While there are a lot of myths out there about entrepreneurialism, there is also a lot of potential.
Feel free to join my private Facebook community of smart successful people looking to challenge their status quo. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1402334170080620/
I love seeing you here Tara! And love hearing more about your story and it definitely does strike a chord. I’m definitely moving through a bit of a stuck period and it’s really inspiring to see how you’ve come through!
Ahh Christine! So much love for you lady. Your words always resonate with me. Shine on.
Great post! This really resonated with me as for so long I thought I had lost my drive… Then I realised I just needed to find my passion again. It was tough but I finally took the plunge, went back to school and am training to be a Health Coach! I am loving learning right now and am so excited about what the future may hold for me!
Jen! That is so exciting. The opportunities that await you will energize you. So glad you took that step to pursue your passion.
It’s amazing that supporting your husband through training, had such a positive and life-changing affect on you! That’s really inspiring. I am trying to support my hubby with his fitness goals, and like you mentioned, sometimes I struggle with it. But seeing how you used it to fuel yourself, and ignite your passion, is something that I needed to see. So often people scoff at women who give ‘too much’ to their husbands, but it isn’t like that. LOL. We get benefits too, and they have our backs too. It’s nice to see it in action. Awesome stuff, Tara! WOOT!
Yes, Jessica. And the story that is emerging now is how supportive my husband has been while I was starting up my biz. He is doing all the Sherpa duty now!
I’m a fan of Tara’s, but reading her story and I’m now a huge fan. I too had a very difficult time when my children were young, motherhood wasn’t easy on me. I had a two year old with special needs and then our twins arrived. I was lost, had no passion, and clinically depressed in a time when I was supposed to feel all of this joy that comes with being a mom. I found myself in my running and my writing– both continue to teach me day after day. I felt Tara’s struggle and to be honest– it brought a tear to my eye… that’s how much I could relate. I love her story because there is a little bit of her in all of us. Now let’s see her kick some butt with her coaching business!
Lisa – you brought a tear to my eye. It is an awful feeling to be so overwhelmed and yes, depressed when it is suppose to be a joyous time. And of course that led to a fair share of guilt. Thanks for cheering me on!
I had a few chills reading your story, parts of it definitely struck a nerve in me! I’m at a place where my kids are growing and I’m not sure what the heck I’m doing with myself or what direction I want to take. Thanks for sharing this, I need to reflect on these things for myself.
Michele – give yourself a lot of space and patience to work through it. If you want, I have a private Facebook group where I mentor smart, successful people who want to define what the next thing is for themselves. We have good energy 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1402334170080620/
Thanks for sharing! I recently had a similar breakthrough and this month have decided to put more work into growing my blog. It is my biggest passion and I want to pursue that. I am in recovery and I lost a lot through my addiction, so when I came out on the other side I was scared about trying big things again. I got comfortable and recently I realized that I have been underachieving. It’s time for big things!
The world needs your voice and your words. I’m glad you will be playing a little bigger.
Loved reading your story Tara! Sometimes it takes involvement in others lives to find our own true passions! I feel like I know my passions but just don’t know how to make a life out of them yet. It’s all a process.
Kaila – if you want some support in figuring out how to make a life out of your passions, schedule a free session with me. I would be honored to listen and strategize with you.
Such a great story! Love reading about how someone finds their passion, no matter what direction that might be. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading Amanda 🙂
This is so wonderful, thank you so much for your honesty. I am at that point right now in my life as well, tired of the drudgery and pushing through to find a way to do what I’m truly passionate about. But taking that leap of faith is a scary one. I will seriously be considering this over the next few day. Thank you for sharing and thank you Lindsay for connecting us to such an inspiration!
Sam – I want to encourage you to pursue your passion. When we connect with what pulls us, we can fly. Let you light shine bright.
Great post–I think that we are presented with the opportunity to fail or fly at critical times in our lives, and I love that you found your own courage to fly as well as to help others!
Yes, opportunity is everywhere when you chose to see it!
love love love! You ladies know I understand this….although I am kinda on the other side of it, but at the same time I get it as I am still trying to find my calling. This is an amazing story, and I am so happy you have found it Tara, you are SO good at the consulting, and this is SO perfect for you. Lindsay, you already know how much I admire you. This was a great read 🙂
Thank you Tina for that lovely acknowledgement. I know how sensitive you are to this subject. xoxo
OH
I may need to take you up on this.
my good friends are so HELPFUL but they all know my story.
I need someone who can hear my story with a FRESH BRAIN.
<3
Oh Carla – please do! I would be an honor to hear your story.