We would love to hear from you! Tell us an empowering story of how
you faced or are facing a life challenging event so we may share your
inspirational story with others.
Christine's Story -
My one word mantra is: BELIEVE
Growing up in a very small town in Pennsylvania, I had a somewhat limited view of the world. My first trip to New York City at 10 years old, was mesmerizing. Something about the fast-paced, ambitious, stylish, intelligent, and successful people and lifestyle there, just drew me in. I knew that someday I would be living and working there, and enjoying everything that the most famous city in the world had to offer.
Around the same time that I visited NYC, I started to realize how much I absolutely loved to sing and play the piano. I was in the special singing groups at school, sang in my church choir, and every chance I got, I would be the lead singer of a pop group with all the neighborhood kids and we would put on shows for all the adults. At the age of 10, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up: A singer living in NYC inspiring people with my music.
Years passed, high school and college were over, I was in my mid-twenties, when I finally made it to NYC. I ended up having a lot of experience under my belt from being in various musicals, performing at Carnegie Hall, traveling to Europe twice to perform at Westminster Abbey in London and The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, and entering singing / music contests constantly giving me the strength to perform.
I've been living in NYC for about 6 years now and have managed to write and compose a plethora of songs. I've formed an entire band with amazing musicians that believe in me and my music and love performing. I've been fortunate enough as well, to have an education and job in Marketing right in mid-town Manhattan. With that education and experience, it enabled me to record and create my first debut CD that is now being sold on various websites, shows, and other events.
I have many goals for the future of my music and the possibilities are endless. When I think back to when I was 10 years old and I had that realization of who I wanted to become, it would not have been possible without the tenacity, ambition and the choice to believe.
Lisa's story:
My one word mantra is: DETERMINATION
I've been blessed with many opportunities and many challenges in my life. Some were small others large and of course in my mind they were all HUGE! One major challenge, being a severe asthma sufferer. More times than I can remember I've landed in the emergency room struggling to breath. Something that we all take for grante, something that you're doing right now and not even aware of. It comes naturally for every living thing on this plant and suddenly and violently becomes laborious, strangling and terrifying. But I never let it stop me. Why? Because I was never told I had to stop! I was determined to live life the way I chose to do so. I have always been an active athlete participating in school sports, a runner and love to be outside. Sometimes it was tough to do any of those things but I persevered. Combined with asthma I had severe food allergies. One attack with food could very easily lead to an asthma attack and ..............back to the hospital. Many years of these ups and downs with different medications took its toll but I never stopped living life.
One day I was in a place of physical and metal exhaustion. Looking deep down inside myself I knew I had to make a change. From that day on I refocused my thought process completely, radically changed my diet and slowly stopped taking the asthma and allergy medications. I made a conscious effort to be happy with all my many accomplishments and not focus on what I didn't have and enjoy what I did. I decide to "stop and smell the roses" instead of rushing by them. From that point on the food allergies disappeared as did the asthma. I also found the love of my life who has been sharing our journey, have made a wonderful home together and have made numerous future plans. To this date I've had some ups and downs with medical issues but nothing I couldn't overcome.
So - Determination is my one word mantra. I was determined NOT to let me get in the way of me. I was determined to live a happy and fulfilling life and found out I'll always "breathe" better when I do!
Thanks for listening!
Lisa
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Maria's Story:
We met Maria at the Carol for Heart 5k run and walk. Carol for Heart is a local organization started by three sisters whose mother, Carol, passed away from undiagnosed heart diease. The organizations mission is preventing women's heart disease through education, www.carolforheart.com. Maria shared her story with us and we wanted to share it with you:
Maria's one word is: EMPOWERED
A Story of Inspiration
At the tender age of 52, having never been a runner, I decided that it would be a good idea to take up jogging. I was, for the first time in 32 years on summer vacation, having completed my first year of seminary, and feeling quite empowered. Believe me, seminary is no walk in the park! I remembered the Carol For Heart walk and thought it would be a nice idea to train for this event, not as walker, but as runner, in memory of my mother Rose who died of a heart attack 14 years ago. And so, on a fine spring day in May, after carefully stretching my legs, I set out from my driveway down my street with all kinds of good intentions and stamina. I lasted about one block before my legs turned to lead, and my heart was beating at the same pace as the drummer playing Wipe Out! I crawled back into my house with a promise that tomorrow would be better. When I woke up the next day, my legs would hardly carry me down the steps, but I remembered my mother, and the undetected heart attack that took her life, I strapped on my ipod and set out again. This time I made it to the end of the street and back, almost a mile.
By the end of June I was running nearly a mile and a half, all the time remembering Carol, whom I never met, Rose, and all the women in my life who never thought about heart disease, or had the time to take care of themselves. When the running got tough, I visualized these ladies standing on the sidelines keeping me on track, but most of all, I thought of all the little girls in this world who should never have to face heart disease in ignorance. So I ran for them, for Mom, for Carol and yes, even for myself.
In July I pushed myself to the 2 mile mark, by this point the run was so much a part of my routine, I enjoyed the time it gave me to think, but that is not to say it was easy, as a matter of fact getting started was always the hardest part of the run. A friend told me to image the run like taking off in a jet on a cloudy day, at first you’ll feel a lot of turbulence, but soon you’ll burst through the clouds and it will be smooth and still and sunny. He was right, I ran through all the turbulence and found that peaceful place where I could think, and pray and get healthy.
Two days before the actual run, I knew I had progressed to 3 miles, and I smiled when I remembered my first day out. I completed the 5K in about 45 minutes. NO great record, but oh it did my heart good to cross that finish line. You can do it too, one step at a time. See you there next September. Maria Sanzo
Caitlin's story:
My one word mantra is: SOAR
I grew up happily in the Colorado Rockies and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado in 2002. By the age of 23 I had been lucky enough to travel across the globe: South America, Europe and Asia. But it wasn’t until 2004 that my life really took off, both literally and figuratively.
My first flight lesson took place at the highest airport in the continental US, in Leadville, Colorado. I was immediately hooked on the freedom, adventure and challenge of flight. Talk about empowering! As you set the throttle(s) to take off power, hundreds if not thousands of horsepower are at your fingertips. As the aircraft accelerates down the runway, the whole world spreads before you like a banquet. The world from above is a feast for the eyes and all your cares are left on the ground.
Amelia Earhart said, “Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace. . .” But courage cannot come and you cannot soar without a solid platform from which to launch. I am constantly grateful to my parents, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles and my amazing friends for empowering me with their support. No one ever told me that it was crazy or too hard or too impractical to dream of being a pilot—a girl pilot—and my career skyrocketed.
After graduating from the Commercial Airline Pilot Training (CAPT) Program at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, I began teaching others how to fly and ended up running a flight school. I helped to establish a new air charter service. Now I am the Chief Pilot for a corporation in Jacksonville, Florida. Every week I fly airplanes large and small, I teach and learn about aviation, and every day I soar!
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