I have always had an interest in health, nutrition, and fitness. As a former figure skater, I wanted to take good care of my body so I could perform at my best. My love for being active continued beyond my skating years as I lived a healthy, busy life.

However, in 2017 I experienced my own personal health crisis. It was preceded by several years of intense stress. I then came down with a bad virus and it took me longer than normal to bounce back. I began developing unexplainable symptoms such as joint pain, body aches, fatigue, and unintentional weight loss. I didn’t understand what was happening to my body and visited many medical practitioners seeking answers. I learned that a lot of things were not right in my body, but no one was telling me why. I was struggling and felt overwhelmed.

Fortunately, when I found a functional medicine provider, I started to get some answers. I was given many lab tests, received a thorough evaluation of my symptoms, and had an extensive review of my history. The results showed I had elevated levels of mold and heavy metals, and had a leaky gut. I also later tested positive for Lyme disease. Things finally started to make sense.

Through the guidance of my functional medicine practitioners, I began to treat and heal the root cause of why I was feeling so poorly. I also learned about the strong connection between the mind and the body; as part of my healing I needed to learn to calm my nervous system from stress and to process my emotions. As we addressed all these areas, I began to have more energy, sleep more deeply, and was able to exercise again.

This journey of healing was full of great challenges, victories, and setbacks. I learned healing is not linear, but I could have strength in the valleys because I knew there was always more healing around the corner. I am incredibly grateful that I have been able to overcome illness and for the many people who have helped me throughout this process. Functional medicine gave me hope, answers, and solutions.

My struggles became my purpose. I realized that there are others who are going through the same things I did and I knew I could help them and give them hope. I am now a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach (FMCHC) through the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. It is my desire to support and encourage others on their health journey so they can achieve their goals and live their best life.