I am fit to live life to the fullest. I am fit because in my life I was faced with the reality that never being fit again was a possibility. I am fit to show myself that I can do anything I put my mind to and prove to the world and everybody in it the same. I was raised on a farm with small town, hardworking values. Determination and drive to succeed was not an option, but a necessity. A hardworking childhood turned into a short childhood as I had my first child at the age of 16. I worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. Marrying an abusive man and having 2 more children, and then divorced before the age of 21 was NOT what I had planned for my life. You have to make the best out of what you are dealt with. A few months later I was in a motorcycle accident that started to deform my left leg. With agonizing pain and doctors, still at this point in disbelief at what they were seeing, started performing surgeries to try to correct the deformation of my left leg. Four surgeries in a year. I felt hopeless. I was on crutches and in a cast this whole time. I had to crawl to do the laundry, I had to learn to carry a baby carrier, I had a 1 year old that couldnt walk, and a 4 year old trailing behind on crutches. Doctors that were at a loss of why they couldnt fix me sent me to the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa to figure out where to go from there. In 2002 I finally had a diagnosis. Post Traumatic Focal Dystonia. It happens to 1 in a million people. It is a spinal cord injury focalized on the nerves in the lower left leg. Only other case they had close to mine a woman went through 27 surgeries before amputation... WHAT??? AMPUTATION? Devastation! I was 22 years old, divorced, crippled, and a mother of 3, and now I had to consider amputation! I was in shock and I was dating a man who had convinced me I couldn’t live without him being a disabled mother. So there I thought that I am going to be stuck like this forever... As time passed the deformation continued and so did the pain. Two more surgeries and finally I said, “I am not going to be like this anymore.” I went online and educated myself of what amputees are capable of and what there is out there for amputees. I found amazing stories of success. None however that told me of the mental and physical pain they had to go through as well. There were just stories of how wonderful they can run, play, and live. Something I was convinced I could never do. So I went to my doctor and asked for an amputation. Who does that? That’s what he thought too. So I had to convince the doctors I wasn’t crazy and I could lead a normal and healthy life with this amputation. People were walking in 6 weeks. I could do that!!! November 2003 mutation… I thought I was in pain before??? I was in tremendous pain. Not only residual pain, but Phantom pain... It’s real. Another year on crutches, in and out of a wheel chair, fighting to take care of my kids, and no money. It was not the happy ending I had expected. In 2004 I had a neurostimulator installed. It is an internal device similar to a pace maker for the Spinal Colum. It sent electro shock pulses to the nerves that controlled the leg that was once there and helped the phantom pains dissipate. In February of 2005 I had finally made up my mind to become, who against all odds, the person I wanted to be no matter what anybody said. I started taking Pilates classes because I figured I could lay on the floor and strengthen my core since I was very weak from years of doing nothing. I was getting stronger and I decided I could ride a recumbent bike. I would strap my prosthetic leg (not yet able to walk) into the pedals and ride. I can do something!” My confidence started rising. Weight now 210 lbs. started coming off and I built up enough strength to walk! The Fremont Nebraska YMCA where I was doing all my own rehabilitation noticed my dedication and told me what an inspiration I was to other members of the YMCA. Me? An inspiration? They had told me that they would pay for my certifications to become a Pilate’s instructor. They said it would help others, not only like me but people who didn’t have it as bad, but could look at me and say She did it, why cant I?” I thought why not. I found my passion so why not help others find theirs. That’s what I did; I became a Pilate’s instructor. I started running, eating right, and lifting. Growing stronger physically and mentally. I went back to my childhood sports. I started coaching my kids and even becoming a USA competitive Gymnastics coach as I was a gymnast as a kid. And all on one leg. I figured why stop there... There are so many people to help and my family to take care of. I became a certified Personal Trainer. I have been a Personal Trainer since 2008. Working for a company as a Personal Trainer I worked with all different types of people: overweight, underweight, athletes, and disabled. Then I stated training others for body competitions while still telling myself I could never be like them. I taught myself the nutrition, how certain foods react with certain bodies. Building these perfect bodies for someone else. Put them up on stage and they did awesome. However I envied what I had turned them into. I said to myself, “you’re going to talk the talk, you better walk the walk. I was told by others in the industry I would have to go into a disabled class or federation. Disappointed but I was out to prove that I can stand on 2 feet with these able bodied people. I fought my butt off to be normal.” I can and do outperform most people who have no ailments at all. That is now and will always be my mindset. I can do anything you can do but better if I put my mind to it. I started training myself for physique competitions, again to prove to myself I can do anything I put my mind to. I have done 2 NANBF shows. The first one I didn’t place, but I told myself before I even got on stage just like I tell my clients, “Your best is all you need!” I have to say I was hurt I didn’t place. That to me meant that I loved it and I had to fight harder. Second show I placed 4th! Pleased but there is still more room for fight. The outpouring of people coming to me saying they had seen me on stage said they would never get up there until they saw this little Nebraska girl with a big smile and one leg holding her own against able bodied people. People who have lost hundreds of pounds. People who were okay with themselves saw themselves becoming great. My own family proud of their one legged mother! And a great husband who I met in 2009 that has believed in me no matter what I want to do! I now own my own business. POLLREIS Personal Training. My team of clients are #teampegleg. I train everybody for their body. They tell me I am an inspiration. To me I did what I had to do to take care of my family, clients, and friends. In return I get to help the world!
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 17:25:27 +0000
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