Before jumping fully into 2023, I’d love to take a moment and say a big thank you to 2022.

Below are a few of my big accomplishments, favorite moments and 5 lessons I learned that I am excited to take with me and keep expanding on in the new year.

My biggest personal physical accomplishment was becoming the 2022 24 hour Mtn bike World Champion. In May I traveled to Italy with Jason, Max, Revel and two of my bikes. I had no idea how I would do, and I was very nervous but also, very curious. My humbleness, openness and curiosity made the race fun for me. It didn’t hurt that it was also beautiful and every lap I got to see Jason who is my coach and biggest fan/ supporter of all. We make a great team and I am so grateful for him as well as Valeria and Francsesco who took our boys for three days so we could prepare, race and recover for a night.

My biggest adventure race accomplishment of the year is many. Our team crushed the North American Adventure Races. We won Expedition Canada, Endless Mountains and we got second in the US AR National Championships. We also got 7th in World Championships with our two male and two female team (my favorite way to race!) which is the highest a fully American team has ever placed. I got to travel to Paraguay for the first time and I also got to revisit Panama and see many new areas of that country. My highlight from each race was how well our team worked together. We all showed up to do the best we could and we never once let our stoke come down. This is huge because this sport (especially expedition races) is made to test you and your team and the biggest test is always in keeping the fire lit and the teamwork going. While we definitely had our fair share of challenges and tests out there, we always ended each race with lessons learned and closer as a team. While every year Jason and I get to race one expedition race together, we got to race TWO races together and these were my most favorite ones. Racing with him is what made me fall deeply in love with him in the first place- so being in that space with him is always special and fun.

Our company BendRacing put on another Expedition Oregon race, which was the most epic one yet. We had many rescues, but everyone came out safe and sound. There were many tears of relief and joy at the finish line and everyone seemed happy with what they accomplished ,including us. It was a HUGE race for us to put on both as a family and as a company. I am always blown away by Jason’s ability to yet again make an incredible course AND surround himself with the perfect team to pull it all off.

My favorite family moment of the year was also many. We visited our cabin more times than I can count, we traveled to Italy twice – once for my Championships and another time to teach an Acro Mastermind Teacher Training. Traveling with Max and Revel is so much fun and I love getting that time with them. They are adaptable, love to explore and love to meet new people. As a family we also found that we could all ski and climb together, so these have become our family play and training times.

In August our family took a trip up to Bellingham for the NW Acro Camp Out. This trip was a big highlight for us. On our way up we stopped to climb at some amazing places that were perfect for both kids and adults. While at the camp out Jason and I got to teach and play while our kids got to do the same. It was one of the most fun and relaxing “work” trips that we had all done together in a long time and we are already planning to go back this year!

Training wise, my power and strength ratios are at all an all time high. Jason has been doing a ton of research on endurance training and it has been paying off big time. While running a business, being a full time mom, managing our race team and teaching/ coaching- I have been able to make big gains and reach new fitness levels!

Big lessons learned in 2022:

While the big moments and accomplishments are fun to look back on, I also like to remember the big lessons that I learned so I can keep nurturing and expanding them as I head into the new year. So below are the top five lessons/take aways from 2022.

1) Take time each day to listen to yourself. Whether it was taking a walk, taking a time out or sitting down to meditate, I found that it was really grounding and healing to take the time to listen and feel what was going on inside me.

2) Sleep and Self Care are number 1 for a healthy and happy Mama/family. In 2022 we found our beloved acupuncturist – Brooke and Nikki from Aqua Terra Health as well as Mission Farms CBD. Weekly treatments from Brooke and Nikki coupled with Mission Farms CBD gel and rest oil has been amazing in aiding our recovery which then helps us be able to push hard in our workouts. While traveling (since we have not yet figured out how to take Brooke with us!) we use our Marc Pro, which is also amazing for flushing out our legs. For a special code on CBD and the Marc Pro -send me an email!

3) Being Patient with myself, This is an ongoing lesson, but 2022 was a big year for it. Instead of being reactionary or immediately responding to something that was triggering, I was able to step back and let myself go through all of the emotions with out any outside judgment from myself. This in turn helped me be more patient with my own kids and in my other relationships. I often feel like I don’t have enough time in a day or in this life time and It can lead to anxiety and me acting on something with out thinking it through. By learning patience and to put it bluntly “shutting my mouth”, I found that it usually all ended up well with out too much stress.

4) Consistency is huge. With my kids I have found that while at first setting a pattern or habit is hard, after a few days or times they grow to love it and look forward to it. Humans love things that are consistent. It grounds us and makes us feel good. In our family we go skiing and climbing a few times a week on set days and we go camping or head to the cabin once a month. In my relationship with Jason, we have one date day a week that we put on the calendar every week. It helps us feel connected and bonded outside of being business partners and parents. Lastly having a training program every month helps us stay consistent with our training and fitness, we never wake up and ask ourselves what we should be doing. It takes a lot of work (by Jason!) but it has been paying off big time.

5) Let go of what is not serving you. This is another on going one, but I feel like it is an important one. I have been letting go of a lot of physical stuff and emotional stuff lately. It has opened up new spaces in my house, in my brain and in my heart. And while some new things have taken up some of those spaces already, for the most part they are spacious and clear. For now I am relishing in these new spaces, I go there to take some time for myself and to just breath- and it feels amazing.

2023 goal

My 2023 aspirations are quite simple. I want to keep learning how to be more present. Luckily I have two of the greatest teachers ever: my boys! In every moment of every single day they are fully immersed in what they are doing and it is so inspiring and (lets be honest) at times annoying. While I know it is good to make plans and look towards the future, lately I am finding I have been doing too much of that. This year I want to find more of a balance – to be able to make plans AND be fully present with what I am doing now is my ultimate goal. I of course have some aspirations when it comes to my athletics, relationships and family life but when I really look at them, it all boils down to being able to enjoy every step that I take towards (and away) from those goals.

What are some things you learned in 2022?? And what are