July S.L.A.M.er of the Month – Moira Neet
While she needs absolutely no introduction, I would feel inadequate not gushing on Moira before you get to read her story. She came to Fort Hood’s first preview class, and the Grand Opening, and was the first to reach 50 SLAMs. But what is even more notable than that, is her perpetual smile and encouraging words she hands out to every mama and SLAM kid whenever she is around. She is woven into the soul of our sisterHOOD and we are all stronger sweating along side her. She’s our resident gif queen, always keeps us on our toes (literally), and her three boys are constant entertainment. So, without making you wait any longer, here is our Moira’s story…
-Amanda, SLAMBoss Fort Hood
I’m going to be real, this would be so much easier if I could put it in the form of gifs, but I’ll try and use my words instead. My name is Moira Neet and I have been a proud member of S.L.A.M. Fort Hood from the very beginning, which if you’ve been following means I haven’t been a member of S.L.A.M. for a terribly long time. But I can say, without a doubt, that I am hooked, and what I lack in length of time I think I make up for with enthusiasm for S.L.A.M.
Let me back-up a little bit. I am the proud mama of three wildlings, all boys, from ages nine to two. When I was younger, I lead an extremely active lifestyle; I played sports every season, I was even the captain of my track team in high school. On top of sports, I participated in competitive Irish dance. I was always moving, but then I had my first little boy and moved far from home and my support system and suddenly the motivation was gone. My body had changed from that very first pregnancy and every exercise I would try left me feeling defeated and disappointed in my body. Fast forward, two more boys later and four more moves, the lonely mom struggle was real. These beautiful active kiddos wanted me to chase them around and do things that would have been easy before, but now I was out of shape and scrambling to keep up and experiencing issues that many mamas out there struggle with after having babies.
One of the benefits of being a military family is having friends spread all over the globe and I had seen some of these strong mama friends of mine in other locations honing their strength while having a blast with Stroller Strong Moms. The moment it was announced that Fort Hood would be the new location I had no less than three excited mamas encouraging me from a distance to give it a try. I was nervous as I hadn’t really exercised in almost nine years, but with their reassurance I showed up to one of the trial classes. It was tough and at one point I was eyeing an escape route, but then a fantastic mama encouraged me and better yet, laughed with me as we continued through the next rep. It was that mama saying “see ya next class” that brought me back, but it was the knowledgeable, inspirational S.L.A.M. boss, Amanda, that kept me coming back. Her beautiful way of making you work hard and get an amazing workout, while still honoring the postpartum journey (no matter how long of a journey it is) is empowering.
In less than a year, my children have learned to love workout days because they will get to see their friends and watch their mama get stronger. They now tell me they want to be “strong like you mama” and they have flourished with the extra love and attention they receive from this fabulous village of women. I have seen myself sign up, willingly and with excitement, for events from 5ks to mud runs and have happily conquered them with amazing strong mamas by my side. I work my schedule around S.L.A.M. because I never want to miss a day. Stroller Strong Moms has changed not only my body but also my mind, because I am a happier more confident mama. Even my husband noticed the difference and vowed to always try to only move us places that have S.L.A.M.
For me it is so much more than a workout It’s having a group of women who want to explore new places with field trips and help wrangle your kids so you can pee in peace without three children in the stall with you. It’s participating in a Re.Fresh and having chats with a dietician and a pelvic floor therapist to fuel me with knowledge to help love my body again. Stroller Strong Moms Fort Hood helped me find my strong and I can’t wait to see what new challenges I can tackle with the best cheerleaders I have ever known.
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