In this episode I talk to runner and athlete, Melissa Huff. She talks about how she never did any sports or athletics at all until she was in her forties. She has since jumped into obstacle courses, body building, and American Ninja Warrior. During these times of the pandemic she has also taken to building obstacle courses for herself and others and is looking to expand that into something bigger.
We discuss:
- Melissa transiting from stay-at-home mom to athlete
- Bodybuilding is scary
- Melissa on American Ninja Warrior
- Melissa’s goal of opening a gym
… and more!
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Here are some highlights:
Melissa runs her first 5K race
“I had already done all of those mom things,” Melissa said. “I was like Super Mom and I wanted to try something totally new and really step outside my comfort zone. I ran my first race and I started collecting medals and I kind of became a medal addict. It inspired me to want to do more and just keep going.”
Melissa finds the gym
“I had never even been in a gym, in my whole life,” says Melissa. “I walked into my first gym about four years ago and I started developing muscle. It was something new to try. I just wanted to get stronger, I was getting stronger with running but I just wanted to get stronger physically.”
Melissa tries bodybuilding
“I’m a super shy person so it was amazing I could put myself out there and try something so bold like a body building competition,” Melissa said. “In front of a huge audience and walking out onto a stage in glass slippers and a bikini in a pretty scary thing anyways.”
Obstacle course racing in the freezing rain
“Obstacle courses make you dig deep and really push yourself to your limits,” says Melissa. “It shows you the determination that you have. I did a Beast which is 15 miles. I did it in November i the freezing rain and it was probably the worst and best experience I’ve ever had. I seriously didn’t feel like I was going to make it. But I made it and it felt really good finishing that race because it was the hardest thing I had ever done.”
American Ninja Warrior comes calling
“My experience on American Ninja Warrior was crazy and so exciting and everything looked so big,” says Melissa. “It’s daunting looking at that course, I was blown away. It looks so big and because I was so short they let me get up there and make sure I could touch every obstacle so that I had the same fair chance the everyone else had.”
Building obstacle courses
“During this Covid time is when we built an obstacle course in our backyard,” Melissa said. “Gyms had closed down for two months and I really wanted somewhere to train. So we built this course in our back yard and it kept getting bigger and bigger. It’s truly amazing. It’s the best backyard I have seen in my life. People saw it online and now we’ve been building courses all over Georgia.”
Melissa wants you to try something new
“My advice to someone listening who hasn’t started any time of athletics is to get outside of your comfort zone,” says Melissa. “I’m a big old scaredy cat. Try something new. You never know what you’re capable of. Just dip your toes I’m the water and find out what works for you. You can start small and dream big. Who knows where it will take you.”
Melissa as a coach and trainer
“I’m working on a goal of being able to open a gym sometime in the future,” Melissa said. “I’m looking to train seasoned athletes. I really want to train women that are 55+ and just getting them in the gym and showing that things are possible. Start small and improve as you go along.”
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Connect with Melissa: https://www.instagram.com/mrsbuff2u/
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