Amparo Atencio

Amparo started training with Fleet Feet Knoxville in a fashion similar to many others.  She wanted to get better at running and was ready to make a commitment.   Her running experience soon extended from 5K distance to longer events such as 10k's and half marathons.  

One goal still eluded her:  the triathlon and its dreaded swim.  Amparo was not a strong swimmer and outdoor biking made her nervous.  If you know Amparo, you know she is a “go getter” and these “little” challenges were not going to derail her.  She worked hard both in the pool and on the bike and finally got her wish alongside her training peeps when she crossed the finish line of her first sprint triathlon in August of 2011.  At age 50, she finished the 200Y swim in 10:23, the 9M bike in 34:57 and the 2.4M run in 35:10.  She may not have finished near the front but in my mind, she led the entire race.

Little did she know that couple of days later her world would turn upside down. That Monday, she suffered a huge personal loss.  In her grief, she found herself unable to find the same satisfaction in running or triathlon as she had in the years before.  As you can imagine that type of healing is slow and painstaking.

Amparo began to consider getting back to running.  She was again a "beginner" even though she had already accomplished so much  in the past. She joined the Walk Fit training program and began to slowly build back her strength and endurance with the help of her coaches and teammates. 

I challenged her near the start of 2016 for 3 resolutions for the new year.  She came back with the following:

1. Run/walk the Hot to Trot 5k
2. Make significant progress towards a 100 lb. weight loss to increase her strength and endurance in fitness, on the dance floor, and in daily living
3. On First Monday in August, to hike up and down Mount Le Conte in honor of her son's life.

As her coach, I personally can tell you that number one is a done deal, and she is already 22 lbs into her weight loss journey.  Number three will be the most difficult, but the most meaningful. She won't be alone on that hike.  #ItIsTime to heal!