Hey all! My name is Alie Broom and I have been a member of Stroller Strong Moms El Paso since it opened in September 2017. I am from good ol’ New Hampshire but the army has taken us to Alabama, North Carolina, back to Alabama again and now El Paso, Texas. I met my husband, Grant as a Freshman at the University of New Hampshire where he was an ROTC cadet and I was young and in LOVE. After 5 years of dating we got engaged and haven’t looked back! We currently have a daughter, Riley, 4 and a son, Hunter 19 months. Being married to a helicopter pilot means long days and a grueling schedule leaving a lot of alone time for myself and the kids. I spend my days juggling (struggling) between housework and keeping my kids alive. kidding (sort of).
Growing up I struggled with my weight and the desire to fit in with the “skinny girls”. Self-confidence was never my strong point to be honest I still struggle with it. My parent divorced when I was 10 and I self-soothed with food, heading down a spiraling path. When I was 16 I had enough and I begged my parents to help me make a change. With their support, a consultant and a lot of hard work, I lost 45lbs and I finally felt happy with myself. I learned about eating right and exercising and keeping the weight off. I have always rode the weight rollercoaster but happily never put back on all of those 45 pounds.
We welcomed our daughter 4 years ago and immediately our new family was separated from a deployment just weeks after her birth. I found myself alone with a newborn who I didn’t know what to do with, hormones all over the place and a good 35 pounds of baby weight to get off. Luckily, I felt like I had 9 months to do it. After a few months of parenting under my belt I put my nose to the grindstone and was at the gym almost every day focusing on me and feeling pretty good about myself.
Two years later we welcomed my son into our family. This was a totally different story. My husband was home and present with no looming deployment I was taking my sweet time getting moving. I was not making great food choices 
because…breastfeeding and I was just unmotivated. We had verbal orders to Ft. Drum, NY to be closer to family when the army stepped in and sent us to the most southwest part of the country in El Paso. TEXAS?! Devastated doesn’t even begin to cover my feelings. Leaving my beautiful east coast town with trees and a beach to head to the barren desert just wasn’t giving me butterflies.
We arrived at Ft. Bliss in May 2017. I quickly joined a gym I with a plan to focus on me and get the baby weight off. My plan at the gym didn’t go as planned. Finally, in August, I started seeing posts for a group called Stroller Strong Moms. I was SO nervous to go to opening day, but I went and loved it! Let me tell you, I don’t think I could walk the next day. I guess my adrenaline had me all sorts of working hard. I could barely run the .5 mile run route and I felt like I was going to pass out the whole time. I absolutely loved it though! Finally, these were my people and they were going to whip me into shape. A few months later, I was running the run routes with my double stroller with no problem and working hard each day.
I joined the Stroller Strong Moms Challenge in January and ended up being one of the big winners. Not only did I lose weight and inches but I won the most improved half mile time shaving off over 30 seconds! I am proud to say I lost all my baby weight and am so much stronger than I have ever been. I hate running, but have completed 4 5ks and I am hoping to get more under my belt with my SLAMsisters soon.
Moms join Stroller Strong Moms for different reasons. I went to lose weight and get back in shape post baby number 2. What I didn’t know what that I (and my kids) was going to form bonds and friendships with these families that will last a lifetime. I am so proud of myself for taking a leap of faith to go to my first class and stepping outside my comfort zone. I literally can’t imagine my life without these moms and their kids.
I am so grateful for Stroller Strong Moms and I am so honored to be chosen for S.L.A.M.er of the Month to represent El Paso, a place I can now call home for this time in my life. Our instructors Jessica, Krystal and Christi are incredible and make every single class a challenge and so much fun. We are constantly sweating and laughing every step of the way. These leaders are motivating and empowering both in class and in life. The moms and kids I have met through this program are incredible and I know that these friendships have made an impact on me and my family for the rest of my life. They are my tribe and I couldn’t get through this journey of life and motherhood without them! Thank you StrollerStrongMoms!
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