… and Beacon of Inspiration at all Times!
For some, losing something, whether good or bad, can be the best way to gain so much more. With that in mind, we wish to tell of a local woman’s journey, as she gained a new passion, discovered new perspective, and formed enhanced relationships as she worked to lose weight.
2 years ago Lori Reimer, a friend of the Asheville Marathon and McKinney Insurance employee, realized that she was approaching 50. A scary prospect for some women, Lori accepted that she couldn’t change being 50, but she could change being overweight at 50. So, on Valentine’s Day, she set out on a mission to improve her state of fitness and her life, subsequently taking up running that March. Today, she is just 20lbs of her initial goal, miles further along life’s road, and a bubbling fixture in the local running scene.
What was the biggest stumbling block for Lori? That “she weighed 300 lbs”, she says. But Lori saw that roadblock as an opportunity to overcome, and she now eyes a new and exciting opportunity to overcome: finishing the inagural Half Marathon on Biltmore Estate. Her long-term goal is to run a full marathon, but she has only done one other half in the past. She plans to attack Biltmore this March as another stepping stone and progress from there. “I was so excited when they added the half option”, she says enthusiasticially. “I’ve been to Biltmore, but I’ve never run through it before, so I look forward to the experience.”
In the midst of her struggles and triumphs, Lori has become quite the accomplished little racer. With finishes in three ‘Color Runs’, the Brevard 10K, the Tryon Half, the Airport Run, Run for the Paws, the Electric Run, and a Frostbite race all now securely under her (now much looser) belt, she has left her mark on the running world.
Her future goals include mentoring to others as they approach 50 years and overweight, and give them some pointers on how to look great, become an athlete, and have a ball doing it. In terms of losing weight, Lori says “I would tell them it’s not a diet: it’s a lifestyle change.” For inspiration, Lori refers others to websites such as SparkPeople.com, which says was and is a great tool. Furthermore, she goes on to say, she would also encourage people to just start to walk, because walking leads to running.
Lori cites sport and competition as having had a major positive effect on here relationships. Her son, now 16, was her first running partner, starting with her and running alongside her in her first 5K. She says her active lifestyle change brought her closer to family, and transformed her perspective.
What changes, you may ask? Well, besides giving her a whole new wardrobe, her favorite part is seeing people and looking at her in awe as if they can barely recognize her. They’ll look at her for a second and ask “Do I know you?” She then shows them a picture, followed by the shocked reply of “That’s you?”
Lori doesn’t have any single favorite race. She loves all of them because they’re so different, each possessing its own unique special qualities. There’s not one that she doesn’t love oroutshines the others. She has the truest and purest of runners’ hearts.