Sometimes you meet someone and you know they were put in your life for a reason. I remember when I first met Alicia Fechtmeister; we were both standing outside Armbrust YMCA and I commented on how amazing she looked. I had seen her around the Y and noticed she was working hard and her weight loss was showing dramatically in the shape of her face and the confidence she now bestowed.
I have watched this woman continue her weight loss journey for the past two years and she continues to be inspiring to those around her. She supports her counterparts and she has become a contestant in early morning spin classes.
Today I talked with her about her wellness journey and what prompted her to change her lifestyle. Alicia and Bob both graduated from Lincoln and began the American Dream. With a business and five children ranging in ages from 5 – 16, they are incredibly busy. While Bob is a runner, Alicia really didn’t participate in any wellness activities as she was focused mainly on keeping her large family up and running.
The Beginning
Three years ago, she took her two boys to watch Bob run the Lincoln marathon. She saw a picture of her with Bob and the boys and she couldn’t believe that was actually her. Many thoughts went through her mind, including:
“I don’t like how I look”…
“I didn’t like how I feel”…
“I wanted to look good for my husband (although she knows that he loves whatever size she is)”…
“I want to be healthy.”
The Journey
She didn’t want to wait until a doctor told her she needed to lose weight or until she suffered a heart attack to get into shape, so she made some changes in her life. She and her family joined Armbrust YMCA and she started attending one class per week. Shortly after that, she began the FAST program and learned about balancing what went into her body with what went out. Soon after, she was all in.
Initially weighing in at 236, she upped her classes to 7 days per week. Alicia found she loved spin class and combined with the FAST Program, she began to see changes in her weight and her body. Alicia reports it was “liberating” to not have to shop in the fat aisle at the store!
During this time, her husband continued to run. He and a friend were doing a 5K and asked her to join them. She and her sister joined the guys and her sister kept pace with her until she completed her very first 5K! That started a love/hate relationship with running. To this day she still doesn’t love it, but it is something that she and Bob can do together.
Alicia has found continued support from her husband and her sisters, along with various members at the YMCA. While her weight has fluctuated some, she continues on her journey and is the first to admit that she is not where she wants to be; this is not the end of her journey.
I didn’t ask her what her final goal is, I just shared that she continues to be a motivator for others. This past weekend, Alicia ran the Lincoln ½ marathon. Admittedly, this is not something she ever thought she would do and she finished strongly with a 12 ½ minute pace! Bob ran by her side, supporting and encouraging her the whole way. She says she is overwhelmed by the number of people who sent her texts and messages encouraging her along her run and didn’t realize how many people were pulling for her!
Giving Back
Ultimately, Alicia wants to give back. She has invited other Y members to the Color Run with her and she has promised to run at their pace, just has Bob and her sister did for her. Has she made an impact on her children? Bob will say she has. Last week their youngest child was on a workout machine and said: look daddy, I’m getting healthier, I’m exercising, I’m just like mommy”.
You never know who you may be impacting or who may be observing. As Alicia has learned, her journey just isn’t about her, but those who are watching and being motivated by her determination.
