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[womenties]

Jamming it up in Roller Derby

Had I been in this rink before? If so, it was back in Junior high school in the late 1970s, when roller skating added music, lights, and fun to a teen’s life. If you were lucky, the rink dimmed the overhead lights so strobes and fluorescent lighting illuminated the ground where your quad skates slid across the wooden floor. But today was 2024 and this ole 59’er hadn’t tried roller skating since she was a teen, making this new sport of Roller Derby an interesting prospect. The thing that happens as you approach your sixth decade of life is your center of weight shifts as your weight increases. Sure, I run half marathons, but that’s easy when your feet hit the pavement and nothing is rolling beneath you. I think my last 8-mile run, which took over an hour, was easier than standing on roller skates for one hour. New experiences give you realistic points of view you wouldn’t gain otherwise.

So, there I was, along with one other 50-year-old woman celebrating her birthday by trying roller derby, and twenty 20- and 30-year-olds, prime for the adventure. The women there were fantastic – friendly, some apprehensive like me, some excellent at the sport already, and accepting of all others in the room. No matter your size, age, gender identification, or skill, every woman was welcome, just like rugby. The Central New York Roller Derby organization based in my hometown of Rome, NY was well organized and coached. Their leaders made sure we had the essential equipment on – helmet, elbow pads, mouth guards, wrist guards, knee pads, and quad skates. For $50, you get all the rented equipment plus eight weeks of lessons and activity making it a reasonably priced sport to try. They were patient and helpful with the newbies.

Like every sport, we began with warmups. I particularly liked doing pushups and sit-ups with roller skates on. It added some weight to the exercises. Then it was time to stand up and try gliding on the skates. I say this with the hesitation that’s intended. It takes a while to find your center of gravity and fearlessness to push off, glide, and stop without falling down. Okay, I did fall two times until I figured out to lean forward not back in my stance. Like anything in life, you have to adjust to new centers of balance. Then we got off our skates and learned about the key derby positions of jammers and blockers and did a few activities like getting into positions as blockers to stop the jammers and how to become a pivot blocker if you receive the jammer star/cover when it is handed to you. What I learned only from this small exercise is I need to watch a YouTube video on roller derby to piece it all together so I understand it better the next time I try it. I did this before trying rugby and it helped my comprehension level immediately. Don’t call it necessary due to my age, but rather because I learn best by seeing, and not hearing.

As our two-hour stint came to an end, we gathered for a group photo as buddies who experienced something new and fun for the first time. I vowed to go back next week to try it again since I felt it needed more time to say I tried the sport. I already have a new group of Syracuse roller derby sisters who want to carpool to Rome and a new roller derby name to try out – Pinky Habanero. Every roller derby chick has a nickname. I met Squash, BAM, Dead, Sunshine, Meli, and more. All I can tell you is if you want to feel young again (in some ways) and old (in other ways), try out roller derby at your local skating rink. Put on those four quads, helmet, and find your center of balance, smile, give yourself a badass name, and get into the rink. I promise you’ll smile, laugh at yourself, and even realize you can be humble, and somewhat graceful while trying something new.

[womenties]

Run the Secret 3k - Support Afghanistan Women Who Can't Run

There are places in the world where women cannot run. We run for them!

This is the fourth year Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham has invited women to join her on the international day when women all over Canada, the USA, and the world run for women in Afghanistan, and other places where they are not ALLOWED to run freely.

This 3.1 mile run in the brisk, and FREE air, Central New York women breathe is the perfect time to run together to promote the fact women in other countries don't have the freedom to run.

Event History:

In 2015 for the first time ever, a marathon was held in Afghanistan, a marathon that both men and women were able to participate in but they had to keep it a secret. Why? There are still places in the world where women are not allowed to run or walk outside. However, a community in Afghanistan courageously carved out a new way forward for the next generation. By creating safe races they helped to create a safe place. We want to help.

Join us for The Secret 3K run/walk. Held during the week of International Women's Day, this race celebrates our right to be free to run. We're inviting everyone to come together in solidarity to support the right all humans should have to walk or run free of fear in their community.

By participating you are helping us to increase awareness about gender equality issues and by making a donation you are helping to further the work of our charity partners to build safe and inclusive spaces that promote gender equality. Together we can empower women and girls through education and sport.

Make a difference by signing up to participate in The Secret 3K and inviting a friend to join you today.

Anyone interested can sign up at https://raceroster.com/events/2024/73911/secret-3k/pledge/participant/23741135 and pay the $15 fee to run and hopefully donate to one of two organizations including the Afghanistan Women's Fund or #261Fearless.org.

If you don't want to register on your own, then pay the $15 on our website and we will register you!

No matter what, make sure you officially register on this page so Tracy can connect with you about our group's run location and timing.

[womenties]

Soaring High - Parasailing

Someone once asked me what animal I would want to be if I could be one. It only took a second for me to say any bird that can soar and swim. It wasn’t until I tried the sport of parasailing that I agreed with my assessment.

High above the tranquil waters of Lake George, NY, the peacefulness of soaring in the sky above a boat that looked like a miniature toy, is where I found the beauty and serenity of soaring. Although I was attached to a parachute and harness with one of my members next to me, we flew and I realized I was absolutely spot on with wanting to be a bird that could take off and land on water.

The clouds drifted even higher than we parasailed although we felt high enough to touch them. The Adirondack Mountains were miniature in comparison to what they looked like on land. The quietness of only air with small bellows of wind was far more peaceful than the hustle of the tourist destination below us. Simple peace and beauty is how I would describe it.

Five of the women parasailing for the first time were scared of heights, where I was not, so I give them extra credit in joining me on this adventure. Their anxiety levels matched my excitement level of trying a new sport to check off my list. Having been a daughter to a stepfather who flew a Tiger Drummond four-seater airplane, and getting to “fly it” once in awhile with him at my side, made the experience a reminder of how peaceful it is in the sky. I never get the same feeling on a commercial jet.

All of my fearless female friends said they loved the experience and would do it again, which means my goal of helping other women become more undaunted in their life and business worked. You only need to look at the photos of us to see the thrill it brought to their faces. Their trepidation of heights is stripped away in a single hour of time – that is a powerful decision.

So, the next time you stop yourself from doing something you are fearful of, remember these smiling faces, the empowerment you achieve when you try something new with anxiety, and give it a try. You will find yourself soaring higher and braver than you thought you were.

NOTE: A special thank you to the woman-owned business Parasailing Adventures for taking us out on their boat named “PINKY” for our adventure. Remember to buy from or hire woman-owned companies as often as you can.

[womenties]

Kayak Fishing - Catching the Perch and the Waves

The last time I approached Sandy Pond it was a blustery day in February and the beautiful blue waters were transformed to harden white turf. Ice fishing in Upstate New York is a pastime adored by my husband so every year I venture out with him bundled up ready to face the wind, cold, and prospects of catching perch. What else is a winter sportswoman to do?

Yesterday approaching the same body of water on Father’s Day with the father of my two sons who couldn’t make it home for the holiday, I wore bright pink shorts, a tank top, and water shoes ready to try Kayak Fishing for the first time. I already experienced deep-sea fishing and fly fishing, why not kayak fishing? I grew up on a lake with boats so this kind of fishing was going to be my favorite.

As the calm waters enveloped my pink kayak (of course I have a pink kayak), my spirit settled and the old familiar comfort and serenity of being on water embraced me. As we paddled out of the cove into deeper waters with a fairly calm breeze blowing, I hooked my first worm and let it drift into the water as far as it would go, and then reeled it up two times to the perfect location, per my husband.

Boom (well, maybe a small boom) the fishing pole dipped and I yanked hard enough to pull up my first small perch. Deciding I wouldn’t be too afraid to take the fish off the hook this time, I gently started to, when my husband said, “here let me help you.” I agreed of course since I’m not that tough of a fishing gal yet.  I re-launched my pole and almost immediately got another bite and up came another small perch. These small perch were not big enough to keep so we set them free. This happened again and again until I caught six of them. I can see how fishing becomes addictive in the sense of trying to see if you can catch just one more.

Alas, the wind picked up and we decided to “ride” our kayaks back to the cove onto of the white capping waves which felt like we were surfing. It was a really fun unexpected addition to the adventure. So even though we didn’t catch enough big perch to bring home some dinner, the thrill was definitely found in the experience of doing a new sport and comparing it to my other fishing experiences. Deep Sea Fishing can be exciting if you land a big salmon like I did years ago but you weather bigger waves and need to wait sometimes to share the poles with other boat mates. Our last deep sea fishing experience in St. John’s landed my son a shark – a 4-foot, 400-pound shark – that took over an hour to pull in and then release.

Ice Fishing is cold but somehow enjoyable because it breaks up doing nothing in the middle of winter when one is longing for summertime and all it brings with it. Plus, my husband is a talented fisherman so he always brings home enough fresh perch to satisfy our palettes. We know when ice fishing is done, spring is on the way. If I had to say, I love kayak fishing the most because you are on the water catching rays, bobbing along in the sun, not truly caring if you catch a fish or not, because the environment is so soothing. So cheers to kayak fishing something I will do again, and again when I can. Give it a try.

[womenties]

Smoke or Not - Doing It Anyway

Biking every day, and I mean every day, in Central New York even in the winter except typically the month of February when we finally have too much snow on the bike path, means my mind, body, and spirit want to be outside and move. The fresh air, the blue or cloudy sky, the wind or windless day, greet me and I wear what I need to wear to adjust to the temperatures and conditions.

But today as an orange haze glows outside my window for the second day, matching our Syracuse city’s favorite color on basketball and football days, I feel like a bear hibernating in winter unable to go outside and conduct life as I’d like doing sports especially when I’m willing to bike when it is 23 degrees with wind freezing me. Our orange sky is from the hundreds of wildfires burning in Canada producing an AQI of 124 out of 500, yesterday it was in the 300 range.

So, what is an addictive sports girl to do when she has enough energy from not biking three days in a row? You are right, I jumped on my bike and pedaled up and down the large hills on my road where I typically don’t bike because it is hard but it was close so if by chance I couldn’t breathe well, I could just turn around. I took my asthma and alopecia into consideration and just did it with my Nike sneakers on. It felt so, so good, and yet I felt the burn in my throat and in my lungs afterward, like I expected. I’m not sure it was a wise choice but my athletic spirit needed it.

Today’s post comes from both my head, heart, and burning lungs, that when you love sports, you have to do them after you take into consideration all the pros and cons of what they provide. I haven’t broken a leg from trying rugby or an arm from trying Pro Wrestling or busted a lung yet from biking in dangerous air, so I keep on trucking when I know mentally it makes me feel good. So do what you want, when you want to if you really have that burning desire.

[womenties]

Rucking it Up with Rugby

As I topped the tall hill, two flat playing fields (aka “pitches”) lay ready. Approaching the one with the two yellow goalposts on either end like the YouTube video I watched to prepare myself, I saw my cousin Paige, dressed in her former rugby cleats standing near an oblong football much bigger than a regular American football. I knew I was in the right spot to try rugby for the first time. My first impression of rugby was at college when the men’s team would crazily be dancing around an Indian statue – their mascot of some sort – in a bar on a Friday night. My feeling was they weren’t crazy, but the sport they liked playing must be crazy because that is how they identified themselves as a team when games and practice weren’t in session. So, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect on a balmy May night on the “pitch” in Syracuse.

Like most of the team sports I’ve tried, practice started with simple passing and running drills. In the case of rugby where the ball is larger and is thrown in a unique spiral, getting my hands around it and trying it out was my first lesson. I wasn’t horrible at it since my father, a football coach, taught me how to throw a mean football spiral growing up. I could handle the throw and motion until the passing drills of running while throwing the ball in a timely order to teammates in a moving line sped up my work. And in rugby the ball must be thrown behind or to your side, not in front, so timing is essential to get down.

Once the throws and simple running drills were done, we practiced running more advanced sequences of drills of passing and pocketing behind a teammate repeatedly until we hit the other side. If anyone dropped the ball, a “half-moon” exercise was given to the team. I definitely contributed to the half-moon workout which was basically a burpee plus a half-squat turn in both directions upon standing – thus the soreness in my thighs today.

After practicing the offensive drills, we turned to defensive drills learning the importance of working in a line to stop the offensive players from coming through. This is where my age and lack of quickness slowed me down. Running forward is one thing, trying to run as fast as the offensive line trying to catch up with them was another. Thank God their full-body tackling exercises were last week. When asked if anyone has gotten really hurt tackling without pads, I heard a few horror stories but not as many as you’d think. “Tracy, the old girls play just touch and not tackle,” a few of them told me. Yeah, that might be where I belong, I thought if I wanted to continue playing.

As the hazy sun started setting after two hours of a really fun time, they took me over to the “scrum machine” to give me a taste of what a scrum feels like. A scrum is a method of restarting play in rugby football that involves players packing closely together with their heads down and attempting to gain possession of the ball. With two teammates on my side, we maneuvered into the machine for the feeling and a photo opportunity. This is where I knew for sure you must have strong legs for rugby.

Playing along with a team of great girls reminded me why I love all women communities because bonds develop quickly and you want them to linger. So, I accepted their invitation to a restaurant across the pitch for food and drinks. It’s there I learned more about a few of the players and enjoyed casual conversation. My cousin Paige said, “This happens after all rugby games – both teams coming together afterwards to share in the experience and getting to know each other.”  

As I said goodbye to my rugby pals, they handed me my own rugby ball to keep for practice and invited me back anytime to play with them. I told them I would join cheering them on at a special fundraiser they host annually for a cancer patient called “Ruck Cancer,” and perhaps rejoin them for another great night of running, passing, scrumming, and bonding on and off the field.

[womenties]

"Let's Go Ruck - Try Women's Rugby"

Rugby was originally a men's sport and women's rugby has become popular more recently. These days, women's rugby is gaining a higher profile thanks to International tournaments' exposure and financial investment.

The growth in popularity among women attracted women in both developed and emerging nations, being the fastest-growing sport in the world with over 500,000 new players joining every year globally. The game remains an amateur, minority sport but a fast-growing one played in over 80 countries worldwide. It is estimated that by 2026, 40% of the total number of players will be female! Do you want to be one of them?

Join Tracy at Uticuse Hellbenders Rugby (a women's team) located in Syracuse for an evening practice to get a feel for the game. If you love it, you can always return and play with them on a weekly basis. The club bridged the cities of Utica and Syracuse since 2008 and grew the team from a rag-tag group of diverse individuals, former rugby players, and newly interested ones alike to a State-Ranked Competitive Rugby Club.

Both their captains and coach will be on hand to help us with drills and cater the first practice to our experience level! So you have nothing to lose but a fun night of trying a new sport, which you might just want to try again.

Grab a girlfriend and join Tracy and her cousin Paige Amidon, a former SU Rugby player for a night of rucking, mauling, and scrumming!

We'll network after the practice with a drink or two. Part of the cost includes Tracy bringing water bottles and snacks for our attendees. Let's go Ruck!

[womenties]

Women's Athletic Network: "Springtime Kayaking"

Women TIES and its Women's Athletic Network are taking to the water for some Saturday kayaking, exercise, and business/personal networking on the beautiful Lake Delta in the Mohawk Valley.

Join Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham on her home waters of Lake Delta with other Mohawk Valley area women in business to get some exercise in, networking, socializing, and business "ties." Men aren't the only ones to do sports together, you know!

You must have a kayak of your own. We will meet at the boat launch area to park and launch our kayaks. Tracy will bring beverages and snacks for you. Afterward, we will network and possibly go to a venue for lunch if the group wants to.

There is a $7 cost to enter the park and launch your kayak. You will pay for that on your own at the park.

There is a $20 fee for beverages and snacks and the sales contact list. You pay that when you register for the event.

We are looking forward to being with you on the waters of Lake Delta forging new and stronger female ties.

NOTE: In case of inclement weather, we will reschedule the event and notify you 48 hours before the event.

[womenties]

Let’s Go Ruck: Trying Women’s Rugby

Rugby was originally a men’s sport and women’s rugby has become popular more recently. These days, women’s rugby is gaining a higher profile thanks to International tournaments’ exposure and financial investment. The growth in popularity among women attracted women in both developed and emerging nations, being the fastest-growing sport in the world with over 500,000 new players joining every year globally.  The game remains an amateur, minority sport but a fast-growing one played in over 80 countries worldwide. It is estimated that by 2026, 40% of the total number of players will be female! Do you want to be one of them? Join Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham at Uticuse Hellbenders Rugby (a women’s team) located in Syracuse for an evening practice to get a feel for the game. If you love it, you can always return and play with them on a weekly basis.

The club bridged the cities of Utica and Syracuse since 2008 and grew the team from a rag-tag group of diverse individuals, former rugby players, and newly interested ones alike to a State-Ranked Competitive Rugby Club.

Both their captains and coach will be on hand to help us with drills and cater the first practice to our experience level! So you have nothing to lose but a fun night of trying a new sport, which you might just want to try again. Grab a girlfriend and join Tracy and her cousin Paige Amidon, a former SU Rugby player for a night of rucking, mauling, and scrumming! We’ll network after the practice with a drink or two at Chelsea’s Restaurant. Part of the cost includes Tracy bringing water bottles and snacks for our attendees.  Let’s go Ruck!   Please register on the Women TIES website so we can send you information at: www.womenties.com or www.womensathleticnetwork.com by 5/22/23.

[womenties]

Inspired by Para Athletes

I transported myself back to the starting line of the Boston Marathon this morning as I turned on the live 2023 race, six years after I stood in the same place in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. My heart rate increased, feeling anxious and excited, and my palms sweating even though I’m hundreds of miles away. I won’t forget the exact moment I started to run knowing there was no going back only forward 26.2 miles. The first competitors of the marathon are wheelchair athletes who can complete the race in 2 hours. As their muscular arms pump with blood, spinning thin wheels on their chairs, I wonder what it is like to race in a wheelchair. I know what it feels like running for six hours from start to finish in Boston but my sports heart wonders what para-athletes experience.

As my friend Shawn Cheshire, a blind woman and one-time Rio para-athlete bicyclist attempts to climb Mount Everest today half a globe away, I decided I want to bike with her as blind as I can be one day to experience her life as an athlete. I know what the marathoners are feeling today because I’ve run in their shoes before, but never as a para-athlete in a wheelchair competing. Climbing Heartbreak Hill around the 20-mile marker in Boston in 2017, I ran uphill with a blind woman running with her coach on my left, and a man with steel legs and his coach on my right. The moment running alongside them seared into my soul and arose again today watching the para-athletes competing. If I am committed to trying every sport once in my lifetime, I owe it to myself and para-athletes to try competing in their style of sport. Whether it will be with Shawn on a bike or in a wheelchair playing basketball or something else, I want to experience and write about what it is like to compete for their way.

I think able-bodied people like me should “walk-in” or “bike in” the races of our fellow humans. If you know someone who will show me the ropes in their para-athletic sport, let me know. It will become another golden moment for me in my pursuit to try all sports.

[womenties]

DO YOU WANT TO Try a New Sport - Parasailing?

Parasailing is one of the adventure sports Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham has yet to try so she is inviting other women to join her on this adventure.

The event will take place on Saturday, July 15th in Lake George, NY. In order to book the event, we need to see who is interested in it so we can call and start the booking. If you have any interest in joining us, please register and we will send you details.

The cost will run between $100-$130 and will include parasailing, snacks, beverages, and networking. To get a count to secure a date and time, please register your name and interest at this link: Women TIES Events

[womenties]

Women's Athletic Network: Kayak Spring Soiree

Women TIES and its Women's Athletic Network are taking to the water for some Saturday kayaking, exercise, and business/personal networking on the beautiful Lake Delta in the Mohawk Valley.

Join Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham on her home waters of Lake Delta with other Mohawk Valley area women in business to get some exercise in, networking, socializing, and business "ties." Men aren't the only ones to do sports together, you know!

You must have a kayak of your own. We will meet at the boat launch area to park and launch our kayaks. Tracy will bring beverages and snacks for you. Afterward, we will network and possibly go to a venue for lunch if the group wants to.

There is a $7 cost to enter the park and launch your kayak. You will pay for that on your own at the park.

There is a $20 fee for beverages and snacks and the sales contact list. You pay that when you register for the event.

We are looking forward to being with you on the waters of Lake Delta forging new and stronger female ties.

NOTE: In case of inclement weather, we will reschedule the event and notify you 48 hours before the event.

[womenties]

Try A New Sport - SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) Yoga (aka Aqua Yoga)

Yoga has been around for awhile and offers peace, relaxation, fitness, and mental health benefits to the women who practice it. As Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham invites more women to try different sports with her while networking with the other women who attend, suggestions included horse yoga, goat yoga, and SUP Yoga. With the warmer weather approaching, Women TIES and its Women's Athletic Network have chosen a SUP Yoga Class.

Take your love of the outdoors into a new realm of discover, challenge and playfulness as we float and pose! This multi-level class offers options for beginners to experienced yogis in a supportive and fun environment.

The class will be taught by Rochester woman entrepreneur Lynn Boucher of Yoga Revolution and be held at Bay Creek Paddling Center in Irondequoit Bay. The class runs from 4:30 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. After the class is over, we'll make a decision about going to K2Brewery for a drink or someplace for dinner. Bring your business cards, athletic spirit, and love for the water and trying a new sport with you.

We have paid for 6 spots which will be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis. SO MAKE YOUR RSVPS today! We might be able to add 2 more spots if we have the interest.

Note: In light of inclement weather being moderate to heavy rain, lightening, thunder or very wavy conditions, we will pick another date in the future. We won't know that until two hours prior to the event.

SPONSOR: If you would like to sponsor this event, we offer a lot of pre-event marketing, day of event connections, and post-event marketing. Contact our office for information.

[womenties]

Women's Athletic Network and Women TIES: Support SU Women's Lacrosse Game and Networking

Currently the SU Women's Lacrosse team is undefeated! Let's fill the stands for them on their last home game at the JMA Wireless Dome and show up!

Women will pay for their ticket at the Dome Gate but will register at this link so Tracy can bring you some cheering items and put you on the sales list. So, register here so we have your name.

The men's games get more spectators, but the women's team is doing better. Women need to show up for women - especially female athletes. Let's go!

[womenties]

Trial Runs

The weekend long runs leading up to the Boston Marathon were trial periods as well as training runs for me.  It’s impossible to think you can do something physically, like running a marathon, by just thinking you can; instead you need to prove to yourself you can. It isn’t so different in entrepreneurship when the idea to start a business, grow it successfully, and reap in the profits can be dreamed about, but not realized unless you test run the idea through a business plan, with advisors, and tweaking the specifics of the plan a year into running it. What we envision isn’t always what we face when we begin and try.

As I jumped on my bike in 35 degrees, cool, sunny, but very windy conditions this Saturday to test a combination biking and running sequence before next week’s first ever mini-triathlon, I knew I had to try my hardest while timing myself in 15-minute increments to see the mileage I biked and ran individually for some comparison for myself for the upcoming race. I bike. I run. I don’t bike and then run after each other, so it was a test. Since the mini triathlon is based on timing and not distance since it was a created event by RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) to give people a taste of what a triathlon is like, I needed to put the sports back-to-back to see how my body responded. Since my pool is closed this time of year due to snow, the 15-minute swim portion will be a mystery until I get in their pool. As a long time swimmer, I know I can do it but adding a third and different sport to the other two might test me a bit but, I’m ready.

When I think back to launching my two company websites in a span of ten years, I remember needing to have the websites tested before they went live. I invited friends and business associates to “test” it out and tell me what they thought. I ended up tweaking the pages based on their experiences. Similar to today when I only ran 1 mile in 15 minutes, I know to improve my distance for the event, I need to run more 1-milers this week to get more speed down. I wouldn’t have had that feeling if I waited until the actual event to see I needed more training in the run portion of the event. Even though I’m not going for a medal (or am I for my age group at least?), it is still wise to put in the miles, tests, and trails to get a sense of where you stand, what you need to improve, and to help guide you the day of the event or launch. When you put in the miles, your mind knows you’ve done your best to prepare for what is ahead. It is then only up to you to do your best and succeed. Wish me luck next week!  

[womenties]

A Global All-Woman's Marathon Run "Women Can" Race of a Lifetime

There I was standing in an English field with deep green fresh grass, humid sea air and a hilly terrain in front of me. I was shoulder to shoulder with mostly women I had never met or ever run with in an all women’s marathon in a country I never visited before. In fact for two decades I had been nervous to fly over the ocean after the Pan Am 103 bombing that almost took the life of a best friend. My sons urged me to let them fly to Europe as their friends started traveling abroad to which I always answered “no” in fear of their safety. Logically I knew traveling would be safe but I just couldn’t get the image of the Lockerbie, Scotland plane photo with a young man’s leg dangling from his airplane seat out of my mind. I wish I never saw that photo.

But there I was having traveled safe across the pond with my youngest son Adam to open horizons for my sake and his future dreams of traveling. I knew if I could be fearless and fly over the ocean with him, I could let him fly on his own one day not gripped with fear. Sometimes we just have to live a fearful experience to be free from it. As my son hugged me good luck on my 7 mile leg of the marathon relay team, I was proud of my decision to take yet one more risk and travel to run in an unfamiliar place at a new distance with women I didn’t know but who joined me in the experience. The organization 261 Fearless has an influential way of inspiring women to join a community of other women across the globe and in their own communities through the love and fitness of running. I am so grateful to them for that gift.

As I took off on the first leg of the relay, I was hugged by my international teammates – Tanja Butcher of Switzerland, Jo Moseley of Northern England and Melissa Stringer from Kansas City in the USA who joined us when Josie Cessar of Malta had to back out due to a family emergency. Running mostly by a river through knee high grassy trails, pass cows in pastures, lambs dotting distant hills and muddy inclines and descents, I took in every moment I could running. I wanted to stop and take photos but heard myself say, “Take in the images with your eyes and soul so they stay with you forever.”

The 7 miles by far were not my fastest run because trail running is so different than anything I had run before but it was glorious in so many ways. My asthma was kicking in throughout the run but I just kept going until I saw my son and two teammates waiting for me at a quaint bridge where I would pass the race onto my new friend Jo. Teammate Tanja and my son Adam joined me in the last bit of mileage over the bridge. It was a memory I won’t forget especially since my son ran with me for a short bit.

At the finish line tent, I waited with 261 Fearless friends enjoying homemade English tarts, gluten free brownies, and tea! The English love their tea even if they just finished running a full marathon. As each of my teammates finished their legs, they joined me in the tent until we our last runner was approaching the finish line where we joined her running hand in hand to the finish line! The entire 261 Fearless running team then sat down in the spring sunshine to enjoy a celebratory glass of Prosecco, an Italian wine my English teammates love. My son joined us since he volunteered while I ran and deserved a glass of bubbly himself. Then him and I headed off to the coast to dip our feet in the English Channel in Sidmouth.

I discovered some real truths while traveling abroad and running in this race to inspire you today:

* Women are wonderful no matter where you go. We warm up to each other quickly creating instant friendship. Women love other women’s spirits. Make sure to meet as many new women as you can.

* Any fear can be erased from your mind if you have the bravery to face what scares you. Only in tackling our fright, can we be free to live.

* When you are diagnosed with a health situation you can’t solve, don’t let it keep you from believing you can still participate in life.

* To truly enjoy life, you must live new experiences. If you can’t face a new experience alone, invite someone to join you. It makes it easier and more pleasurable.

* The world is a fascinating place with a million vistas to see. Make sure you travel enough in your lifetime to witness new destinations.

* Anything you experience in personal life is applicable to our professional life. Meet more women to open your business horizons, conquer entrepreneurial fear by trying something that makes you nervous, say “yes” to more opportunities, and visit more places to meet more people to connect with globally at conferences, events and even races.

I hope you have time soon to take up a run on a muddy trail past animals, streams and hilly vistas enjoying every moment and allowing the experience to change you forever in the most positive light.

[womenties]

"Try A Tri" - A Creative Way to Try a Triathlon

Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham, Founder of Women TIES and the Women's Athletic Network, with her lifetime goal to try every sport once, is inviting women to join her on her latest athletic and networking event for women who have always wanted to "try" a Triathlon. Join her with the RIT Running and Multisport Club for a thrilling Try-a-Tri event on March 26, 2023 at the RIT Gordon Field House.

This will be just the tip of the Triathlon iceberg since participants get to test their endurance and push themselves to new limits as they swim, bike, and run for 15 minutes each with a 5-minute transition period in between each activity. This is perfect for all skill levels and a way to test yourself. Compete against other participants and see how far you go as the event is scored based on distances covered. Proceeds benefit the RIT Running and Multisport Club and the nonprofit organization ROCovery.

Registration is digital. Online registration closes at the start of the race. Must register by March 5, 2023 to guarantee a t-shirt with participation. To secure your place, please register by March 5th on the website at https://campusgroups.rit.edu/feeds?type=event&type_id=2035826&tab=details then, register on our website so we know you are joining Tracy on this lifetime sport so she can meet you and create the networking opportunities for any women who attend. There is a $10 cost for the Women TIES group networking portion of the event, plus promotion on you and your business for joining her prior and after the event so make sure to register and pay the Women TIES fee at www.womenties.com

Come on, let's do this together while supporting a worthy Rochester based organization. As my favorite pin states, "Make Your Life a Great Story" and as my friend Kathrine Switzer says, "Life is for participating in, not spectating."