The Athlete Inside-Book Review

Released on April 28, 2020

"We have to be uncomfortable with where we are to make progress, otherwise we stand still and never go anywhere." - Scott Welle, author and motivational speaker

One day Sue Reynolds decided to make a change. Making a change and sticking with it, is one of the hardest things to do.  Resolutions made and not kept are a testiment to that.

Reynolds like many Americans had let her weight creep up due to the demands of work and family.  In 2010 she was morbidly obese at 335 lbs.

Then over three years she lost 200 lbs.  I struggle to lose 10 pounds. I cannot imagine the determination and discipline it took to lose this much weight. 

That alone would have made an interesting story, but along the way Sue decided to do a 5K race on a challenge from her son.  She wondered if you could even cover the distance and wondered if she would be the last one.  She worried she would inconvience race directors while they waited for her to finish.  She faced similar fears as she entered more races.

This book is her story as she slowly lost the weight and discovered the athlete hidden inside.
She also took on the challenge of triathlon.

I got an advance copy of this book from my fellow USA Triathlon Ambassador.  As a fellow triathlete her stories ring true. She and I have been at many of the same races and we share many of the same experiences.

 She talks about facing fears in the swim, fears she is being judged by others and fears about not measuring up.  Fears we all face. Sue triumps over them all!

You can follow along in her quest to be among the very best age group triathletes. She will take you along as she competes for the USA at a World Championship.  Her story shows that we should all dream big dreams.  Wanting to make a changes can be the start of a climb toward a big dream.

Sue is donating the profits from this book to the USA Triathlon Foundation. She is hoping the USAT will use the funds to help support the paratriathlon program. That is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart and I wish Sue every success.

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Chris Wodke

Founder & Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the Boston Marathon.  In 2012 she finished 2nd at Boston in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs exploded.

She has appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship and at the Aqua bike National Championship in 2016. She represented Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015i, Cozumel in 2016 and Denmark in 2018. In 2018 finishing 5^th in the 60 to 64 age group.

 In 2014 she represented the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American Triathlon Championship in Dallas, Texas.  She has won state championships in cycling and triathlon as a senior Olympian. In 2017 she placed 2^nd in her age group at the Winter Triathlon National Championship, earning a spot on Team USA for the World Championship.

In 2020 she was named a National Ski Patrol Subaru Ambassador and a USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador.

She travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a CMT affected athlete and the book “Soup Sundays, A Journey Toward Healthy Eating”.

http://www.henschelhausbooks.com/catalog/memoir-biography/215-running-for-my-life-winning-for-cmt-9781595982827.html

You may visit her author page at:
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Wodke/e/B00IJ02HX6

Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMTWe currently have 233 athletes in 41 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Vietnam, Iran, Scotland, France, Turkey, Poland, Norway, Mexico, Wales, Ireland and Sweden!. If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS).  It is a disease of the nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual dexterity.

Structural foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold hands and feet.

Additional symptoms may include fatigue, sleep apnea, breathing difficulties and hearing loss.

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