An Open Letter to My Tribe
Hi Studio Thrivers,
It's your courageous leader Kimber here (fearlessness is ignorance and a fearless leader an impossibility). A year ago today, a journey began in my world, one I think we can all benefit from examining. It was day one, class one at IDEA World LA. My prospective business partners and I adventured together on the trip of a life time to hone our craft, train from the best, and set intentions for our venture. I can honestly say that trip was life changing, and not because of any of the above reasons. It was in that very first session that I tore my shoulder. What began as an exploration of the re-injury of an ancient trauma turned into a discovery that would change the trajectory of my last year.
To make a long story short during the exploration of a slew of should-not-be-possible/highly improbable injuries, an orthopedist at Mayo Clinic Square in Minneapolis MN mentioned screening for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. This was my first introduction to a disease that has brought clarity to symptoms that I wasn’t acknowledging as such. It also brought the heightened possibility of injury and awareness of pain.
In the last year, I have experienced the highs of overcoming injuries and feeling my spirit take flight on runs beyond what I thought possible to the lows of being advised to walk away from running and accepting the reality that my physical body now needs different training than what I have grown to love and enjoy.
Different. That's the key word! Am I done improving my body? No. Am I giving up in my quest for better health and quality of movement? No. Am I done flirting with boundaries and exploring the what if? Hell no!
I choose to work smarter. I choose to explore different avenues. I choose to revel in the possibilities, though they may pale in comparison to those of a year ago on paper. In actuality, one’s best is a fluid measurement, constantly evolving as we do. It’s when we learn to embrace life’s impermanence that we can begin to thrive in our journey, covered in a heaping of self love, towards our best.
What I have required of myself in the last year is no different than I ask of you, my clients. I see your struggle when I ask you to redefine what food looks like as we challenge the North American diet together. I see your doubt when I ask you to redefine what fun feels like when we challenge your body at the culmination of a workout and I call it playtime. I see it all, I feel it all and I journey with you.
Bring your doubt, bring your struggle and let's together do something truly awesome. Let’s teach legs to walk who have forgotten their purpose, let’s heal our endocrine systems and nip Type II in the ass, let’s show stress how we can push it out while “working in” building energy instead of draining it. Let’s live life, a big, messy, beautiful life together, improving together. Because so help me, I will thrive and I plan to bring as many people along on the journey as I can.
Yours in love and good health,
Kimber
