My name is Stephanie Noland and I am a proud Army wife and mother of two-year-old twins. I was born in Nuernberg, Germany and moved in 2011 with my husband Scott to the US.
Here is my SLAM story:
Before I had my twins, I worked as a director of sales and marketing for various hotel chains and loved my job. After having the babies, I struggled with not being able to work, or having my work friends and the social support that comes with it. When we moved to Leavenworth, KS my neighbor told me about a workout group I should check out that focuses on working out with kids. I was super excited and became a member of Stroller Strong Moms Leavenworth in 2017.
I struggled first because the workouts were tough, and I haven’t seriously worked out since my pregnancy. I did not have to worry, since everyone was so supportive and helpful and when my kids cried, there were always mums who helped me calming them down. This amazing group of ladies changed my life. I started running again, since some of the girls were dedicated runners and took me in. They even picked me up from home in the evenings when I was not motivated at all to run after a hard day with the kids. I ran three half marathons that year and changed my lifestyle completely.
The support among SLAM moms is unbelievable! I want to bring this great support system to moms at Fort Drum and I am so excited to do that with my SLAM sister Laura.
Meet my business partner and new-found friend Laura Sasala!
My name is Laura and I am an army wife and elementary school teacher turned stay-at-home mom. I met my husband in Fairbanks, Alaska where I was teaching and he was stationed at Fort Wainwright. I loved Fairbanks and I loved the school I worked at and I never wanted to leave. But the military doesn’t work that way so around the time we found out we were pregnant with our first baby we also found out we would be moving to Monterey, California. I had our son, Jerry, in Monterey about 4 weeks after we arrived. I was a new mom in a new place with a new job.
I found Stroller Strong Moms on Facebook and thought it sounded like something I would enjoy and a good way to meet people and get out of the house. All of the reviews mentioned the strenuous nature of SLAM workouts and I was nervous about whether or not I could handle it. At exactly six weeks post-partum I signed up for my first free class online. It was the SLAMiversary class.
The night before I couldn’t sleep. Would I be able to keep up? What if everyone knows each other and I don’t fit in? I almost didn’t go. But that morning I put on two sports bras, loaded the baby and the stroller in the car, and made it to class. The instructor, Alexa, offered modifications and kept saying, “there’s a level for everyone.”
I was hooked! I bought a shirt and knew I had found something special. At the end of class everyone invited me to stay for the SLAMiversary celebrations but I needed to go home to nurse my baby. I remember looking around and seeing a mom nursing right there in the park! That was when I realized that this group would not only encourage me to exercise, it would help encourage me as a mom as well.
Fast forward two years later when we found out we were moving to Fort Drum, New York. It had been on my mind and heart that if our next duty station didn’t have SLAM I would have to bring it with me so that I wouldn’t lose this community. And I was so grateful when Alexa called me and told me there was another mom, who was in the exact same boat, moving to Fort Drum from Fort Leavenworth. Especially because I knew I would be having another baby soon after arriving at Fort Drum. Baby Matthew was born December 14th, 2018. Steffi and I are so excited to bring SLAM to the North Country. It takes a village!!
Find out more and follow along on our Stroller Strong Moms Fort Drum on our webpage, Facebook an Instagram!
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