If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know that I’ve been searching for “what to do with the rest of my life now the kids have gone” for a few years now. I haven’t blogged for over a year and so much as happened! Read on……
For those of you new to my Blog – I started “The Evolving Empty Nester” 4 years ago just as my youngest child left home to begin her “adult” life. I found myself to be very somber, and inwardly empty, hence “Empty Nester”.
“Readers Digest” version – I had a career in Hospitality, then kids, then……..no plan. Now, maybe I realize that I should have listened to my in-laws and focused more on my “life after children” which they had constantly suggested whilst our kids were then growing up at home. At the time, I just felt I wasn’t ready to think about it. Then the kids left. I was at a loss of what to do with, and for “me” after a wonderful period of “us”. Meanwhile, I’ve been plodding along working in restaurants part time, and searching for the “new Kim”
In July of last year, a lovely lady who had started me on my path to fitness 17 years ago as my Personal Fitness Trainer, posted a request on Facebook. She was looking for Personal Trainers to join her business “Funktion for Life”.https://www.funktionforlife.com/ Mmmmmm. I mused. Interesting. I love fitness and training, I love people, I love helping empower change, this seems like maybe it will be a fit for me. Hold on a sec…… I don’t have a degree, and am certainly not ready to get one at this point in my life. Nicole said “we need to talk”.
I met with Nicole and she shared that she thought it used to be all about having the Degrees, but now, it seems like people are looking for yes – certainly the knowledge, but even more so – the personality and how they connect with others. She thought I would be a perfect fit to be a Personal Trainer with her business!
On it! And super pumped, I signed up for an online International Fitness Trainer Certification and attacked it. I also started shadowing Nicole and her other trainers to learn the “hands on” aspect whilst studying. I never thought I’d find myself studying again, and it certainly was a struggle for my well-used brain, but I passed with flying colours I’m pleased to say.
I spent 2 months in Costa Rica during the Winter and towards the end, Nicole started sending me information on new clients that she thought would be a perfect fit for me to start with when I returned home to Canada in March. In the meantime, I planned workout sessions for each client. I was nervous, yet super excited. The date I came home was March 13th 2020. Yup, the Covid 19 situation was escalating in Canada. Two weeks of quarantine ensued for me, meanwhile the Gym that I was about to work in, closed their doors “until further notice.”
In the downtime of closed gyms’, I ramped up my education. I’d been following some super-well established knowledgeable trainers, and taking some of their online classes , taking online courses through CrossFit and reading any article I could on anything fitness or health related. I did some “freebie-training” for friends to help with my learning curve of coaching, and led a Zoom class for my girlfriend in Australia and her rowing team who were on lockdown and not able to train. I sent workouts to my brother and two others in Wales, and to 2 girlfriends on Vancouver Island. All of which, along with their great feedback helped me to continue my fitness education during this pandemic.
Maybe this time of waiting to start my next phase was a blessing? It gave me the time to adjust from my most fabulous adventure in Costa Rica to starting my next career adventure. I had time to focus on myself and my relationships, learn to be at home, and be OK with it (I’m a super social being).
Fast forward to today………………..Lockdown loosened its grip, business’ started to open up, and I nervously started my new career at the ripe old age of 57! I’ve now been training some wonderful clients for the last five months and absolutely loving it! I find it challenging, yet oh so rewarding, and wonderful to share my passion for fitness and empower others to feel rewarded by their efforts.
I wonder how life would have been if I’d found this “career path” earlier in life? .
In some ways, I feel that my life and work experiences have helped shape me to be the Personal Trainer (that I’m proud to say) I am today!
(Below – myself and my Italian buddy Suzi doing one of my Workouts in the heat in Costa Rica)
The Evolving Empty Nester 