JENNIFER CRUSE

My body submerges into the Pacific Ocean and for a quick minute I can't feel my hands or feet. The water is so cold I swear I could turn to ice, but I can't stop now. I've committed to competing in a half ironman and there's no turning back. I've sauntered through the sprint, owned Olympic distance and now I'm ready to go after the real challenge - the half ironman. This distance (70.3 miles) will test both my mental and physical strength as I swim 1.2 miles (1.9 k), bike 56

Webster's dictionary defines adversity as a difficult or unpleasant situation. And I bet if you were to ask any one of the 100+ billion people who have lived on this earth if they've faced adversity in their lives, they would agree they have. The fact is that everyone gets down by life sometimes. I would be lying if I said that the past few years have been easy for me. Reflecting on the start of the pandemic to where we are now, I've come to understand that in life, adversity

A penalty shoot-out is a method of determining which team is awarded victory in a soccer match that cannot end in a draw, when the score is tied after the regulation playing time as well as extra time have expired. The pressure and unpredictability involved makes it one of the most thrilling finales to any sport. Rewind back to my days of playing soccer. My team and I had made it all the way to the Championships and the pressure was on. The game had resulted in a tie so the g

I have found it helpful to write down the important lessons that the pandemic has taught me and I'm excited to share them with all of you today. Here are five lessons I've taken from this time in quarantine: 1. Time is an illusion. Ask the importance of time to the medical professionals in the ICU treating COVID-19 patients. Ask the importance of time to an Olympic athlete who prepares herself for the biggest competition of her life. Ask the importance of time to someone who