My name is Debbie, and I am the assistant FIT coach for Group “C”. I am a
Registered Nurse and work in surgery. I was born and raised right here in
South Florida. I am 39 years old, and have been married for 18 years. I have
2 wonderful sons ages 13 and 6. Our family is very involved in Scouting and
the school Band Program. I love camping with the boys, and enjoy helping out
in their school activities.

I have been with FIT for 3 years now, and love everything about it! I have
run 9 marathons and 11 half marathons. My favorite marathon, which was also
my 1st, is the Disney Marathon! I am a true Disney fan, and I love the race.
There is no better feeling of accomplishment than crossing the finish line
of a marathon. I also am a triathlete. I have done several triathlons and
would soon like to finish a half ironman event. Today, running, and
participating in road races and multisport races is what defines me.

It wasn’t always that way! Growing up in the mid 70’s and 80’s, I watched my
father run many road races. He was “big time” into running. Every vacation
as a kid involved time for my dad to run. I, of course, thought he was crazy
and couldn’t run 3 feet! I was a heavy kid, who turned into a heavy teen and
heavy adult. Running was not something I would ever have considered doing! I
never played sports as a kid and would say I was probably the least likely
to be considered athletic in any way!

It was when my youngest son turned 2 that I found myself about 100 lbs
overweight! I really couldn’t explain how it got so out of hand, but there I
was. Since running was something I was familiar with through my dad, I
thought..”Maybe I can do this too? Maybe he isn’t crazy!”
Looking for a running group that could accommodate my pace of about 13-14
min per mile was difficult. Most groups had their slowest runners going
about a 10 min mile. Needless to say, this was very discouraging. Then I
found FIT! They had pace groups to accommodate 16 min per mile on down to
sub 9 min mile. I was afraid to try it out, but did it anyway. My coaches
were so supportive and encouraging. They didn’t judge me, and made me feel
like I could accomplish great things. I made life long friends and running
partners.

During the last few years, I have lost almost all of the weight through
eating right and running! I have completely changed in every way. I have
progressed through the various pace groups and can now run the “D” group
which runs a 9:30-10:00 min per mile average. I have done things I never
thought possible, and I have my FIT group to thank for it. They have
encouraged me and helped me succeed in every way. One of the best things
truly to happen to me was to have found this group. They really keep me
focused on my goals and keep me motivated. I encourage anyone to try
running. It’s never too late to start! You’re never too “heavy” or too
“slow” to start. Just get up and try! I did, and I would never look back!