073. Always Running, Running, Running

On the outside, she would light up a room with smiles and positive energy. A competitive athlete who also had a penchant for traveling the world, her life looked like a dream. On the inside, however, she was plagued with deep insecurity and anxiety from a young age. When poor body image crossed paths with always wondering if she would ever fit in, she began to exercise excessively to make up for the large quantities of food she was consuming. She looked great in a bikini but was binging her way around the world. She was miserable while training for marathons because she was so busy obsessing about food, constantly baking for friends, and wondering why others loved her when she didn’t love herself. Only in Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) did she see the extent of her exercise bulimia. She committed to recovery in FA and finally took the time to find her true self. In FA she found love, first for herself, and then with a life partner. After facing fertility issues, their daughter was born – something she had never dreamed would be in her future. Today her life is lived in gratitude and service to others, giving back what she has so generously been given.