The power of showing up, staying coachable, and becoming athletic again. There are some people who walk into your life and remind you why coaching matters so much. Laura Richardson is one of those people.
When Laura first started training with me two years ago, she was already someone who had an athletic life. She had been a competitive swimmer, gymnast, dancer, runner, half-marathoner, and triathlete. Movement was not foreign to her. Discipline was not foreign to her. Showing up was not foreign to her.
But like so many women, life, injury, and time had shifted the way she saw herself. She describes herself at that point as being “in-shape” but stuck. A knee injury had changed what she believed was possible. She had started settling into lower-impact workouts and walking as her new normal. Fitness had become more of a checkbox than a place to grow.
She was logging the days, but she was no longer feeling fully challenged, fully connected, or fully herself. And then something changed. Laura made the decision to stop settling. She allowed herself to be coached again. She opened herself up to new ways of training, new ways of thinking, and new ways of trusting her body. That’s were the real transformation began.
When Laura talks about the last to years, she does not just talk about running faster or lifting heavier. She talks about a mindset shift. She went from going through the motions to being present, coachable, and genuinely excited again. She began to reconnect with pieces of her athletic past in a new way. The balance and core strength from gymnastics. The posture and body awareness from dance. The endurance from swimming. The mental toughness from racing.
Her knee injury is now behind her. She is lifting heavy. She is doing high-intensity work. But what stands out most is not just the physical gain.
It is the confidence.
It is the ownership.
It is the way she has empowered herself to shape her habits, protect her health, and show up differently inside and outside of the gym.
I asked Laura to give her advice to other people who may feel behind, intimidated, unsure, or overwhelmed.
Laura’s advice:
Where you are right now is the place to start. Not after you lose weight. Not after you feel more confident. Not after life settles down. Not after you find the perfect program.
RIGHT NOW!!
Start with one key area. Build small habits. Prepare ahead. Give yourself room for real life. Laura believes in an 80/20 approach, which means consistency matters, but perfection is not required. That is the kind of mindset that lasts.
Laura Richardson is a reminder that athleticism does not expire. You are not too late. You are not too far behind. You are not minted to the version of yourself you have quietly accepted. You can rebuild. You can return. You can become stronger in ways you did not expect.
YOU MATTER!!
