Waypoint Narrative #12

Waypoint Narratives: Five questions, one objective - share stories of people who have experienced the impact of the outdoors.

Have you ever met someone and with very little knowledge of them just felt like, “Man, I need to be friends with this person!” That was my experience when meeting today’s guest, Becky. We first met at xFit, a free workout class offered by our church. Her and her husband, Jake, are two of the most authentic people I have ever met, and their hearts drew me in with curiosity and admiration. Becky is humble, thoughtful, deeply caring, and yet goofy and light-hearted. One of my favorite memories of Becky that I feel so beautifully demonstrates her character is a few months ago, after I posted a LONG winded reflection on a hard race, I jokingly (but also seriously) mentioned my deep desire for a stromboli. The next day, Becky texted me. I was completely exhausted and depleted, and into my messages pops a photo of a stromboli on her stove and a message, “Dinner will be ready at 5:30! See you then!” I teared up from being so seen and heard and just for her genuine friendship. Ok, sorry, I could gush about Becky for a long time, but you want to read her narrative. Here it is!

Do you have a trail name, and how did you acquire it?

I can’t say I have spent enough time on the trails to earn a trail name; although I do aspire to achieve this status someday! However, I will share my “wood burning” name according to my husband. We have a wood burning stove at our house and I’ve become skilled at starting our fires with as little prep work as necessary. My husband Jake calls me “Two Stick Chick” because I can start a roaring fire with as little as two pieces of fatwood kindling!

What are the key waypoints of your life that ultimately lead you to the trail in the first place?

Growing up, I wouldn’t consider my family to be the “outdoorsy” type. Our family vacations typically consisted of trips to the Jersey Shore and I didn’t meet my love for the mountains and the trails until college. My husband has been a great influence on me in exposing me to the beauty of trail hiking. He proposed to me on a section of the Appalachian Trail, which we now happen to live a half a mile away from. We spent three and a half years living in Colorado Springs, CO where my love for the trails blossomed with the pure beauty of nature in that area. I think the beauty we find in nature, on the trails, in the ocean, and in the mountains is an expression of God’s love for us.

Share about one of the most memorable problem-solving moments you’ve had on the trail.

I will never forget the lesson I learned camping along a trail in State College with Jake that you must close the doors to the tent once you set it up before going out to build a fire. We left the flaps of the tent open and came back to an infestation of spiders in the tent! I sat in a corner of the tent while Jake swung away with a shoe to kill all the little beasts!

Who and/or what inspires you to keep moving forward?

I feel inspired by different people for different reasons throughout my life. In April of 2022, Jake and I welcomed our first daughter to our family, Lucy Mae. I can’t remember a time in my life where fitness and movement were not important to me; not just for the physical health benefits but also the mental health benefits. My body felt foreign to me after Lucy was born; I was soft in places I didn’t recognize and it took a toll on my self perception of what my body could do. I noticed a trend in my thoughts that I began viewing myself in a “before” and “after” pattern; like there were things I could only do before my body changed and I became a mother. I felt weak and incapable, despite the miracle my body underwent in carrying a baby.

I was scrolling through Strava one afternoon when I was around three months post partum and saw all the cool things my friend Dani Kepner was posting about. I saw a woman of strength, resiliency, independence, and character. I admired her for the discipline of her training. I realizied this is the kind of woman I want to be for my daughter. I got back on the running horse and signed up for a half marathon that day. I am inspried by people who are willing to work hard for their goals.