After my daughter was born, I discovered FIT4MOM as a way to start exercising again and meet other mums. When I saw that one was starting up in Burleson I was like, ‘WHERE DO I SIGN?!’ A sweaty summer of fun and workouts followed! I love that there are options for us teachers, and even though I can’t be there all the time, I still feel like a part of the group. Even through this crazy time, FIT4MOM has been the one constant. My day isn’t complete if I haven’t done a virtual workout with a toddler hanging upside-down from my knees!

I encourage anyone to try it out, especially teachers. FIT4MOM has provided some serious workouts for me, and friends and support for both me and my daughter. It’s fantastic to have a group that constantly builds each other up no matter who you are or what your fitness level is. I never considered I’d actually be fitter post-baby than I was before!

Mama of the Month Q&A

Where are you originally from?

Oxfordshire, England! I moved to Texas at the beginning of 2014 to get married, and we jumped around DFW for a couple of years before landing in Joshua.

Tell us about your little workout buddy!

Harley is the sweetest, most curious, determined little monster. She cracks me up every day, and I hope she retains that strength of character as she grows up.

How did you meet your husband?

People expect a super romantic, trans-Atlantic love story, but it’s pretty boring! Nolan is from Texas but lived in England for a few years and went to college there. We worked for a student housing company during our last year in school and met during that time.

What’s your favorite family activity?

Going on holiday! We’ve always loved exploring new places and wanted to try to continue that after having Harley. We’ve been pretty successful so far. She’s a great little travel companion, even if she comes with a lot of luggage!

Tell us a little about your career—pre or post baby.

I’m a middle school special education teacher for Burleson ISD. People think those that teach middle school are crazy but I love it! You get these fresh-faced, little kids at the beginning of 6th grade, and you pass on these mature 8th graders ready to face high school. I genuinely get so excited sharing their stories and their successes, not being there for the last part of this year has been pretty sad.

How did you find out about FIT4MOM?

After I had Harley I realized I knew no one else with little kids. After consulting Dr. Google, FIT4MOM came to the rescue!

What is your favorite part about FIT4MOM?

Being able to work out but not at the expense of time with my kid. It just perfectly blends staying active, parenting, socializing, and having a support system.

What has inspired you the most since being a part of FIT4MOM?

BodyBack for sure. Being able to see the progress I made in that short space of time was crazy – I could do actual pushups at the end!

Do you have any big plans this month?

(I’m going to preface this answer by saying this is written during Covid-19 times. I’m not a hermit, just still stuck at home.) Yes. I think I might adventure away from the living room and kitchen more. Maybe spend more time in some lesser-used rooms of the house. Possibly just turn the whole place into a fort or pirate ship. We’re still early in the month though so you never know, we might even get the green light to venture out at some point!

What is your proudest moment as a mom?

I had Harley in the middle of my master’s degree, so juggling figuring out how the heck to be a parent, teaching, and finishing that at the same time was pretty cool in hindsight.

Have you ever thought, gosh I can’t do this, and what brings you to see the good?

Right now I have so much respect for anyone that works from home while looking after their kids full time. Luckily kids have this built in defense mechanism of being able to pull the most innocent, adorable faces, which I think it pretty paramount to their survival.

How has becoming a mother changed you?

I’ve become pretty educated in literature for the under 2s, and my ability to carry 30lb weights over long distances has improved. But really I think I’ve just become acutely aware of how much my words and actions are absorbed by this little sponge of a person, and so I better make them good ones.

What advice would you give a new mom?

I am a huge believer in delegation. People want to help, so let them! It doesn’t make you a bad mum if you don’t do everything yourself, it makes you a smart one!!