SUZANNE

We started training in 2019. She’d just had a major back surgery and lost over three inches in height. I knew from the beginning it wouldn’t be a straight line. Shortly after we began, she was hospitalized with sepsis. Most people wouldn’t come back. Suzanne did.

She trained through everything — illness, holidays, setbacks. In 2020, when many people were slowing down, Suzanne showed up. She had procedures, flare-ups, and surgeries year after year. But she always found her way back to movement.

By 2023, she had a major hip surgery. Then she got sepsis again and spent Christmas in the hospital. But in 2024, something changed. All those years of training started to show. She began pushing sleds, doing TRX rows, carrying weights, stepping up without hesitation. She got rid of her cane. She traveled. She smiled. And she moved.

Now heading into her 80s, Suzanne is stronger than she was in her mid-70s. That’s not a miracle. That’s consistency, courage, and a little bit of grit.

We’ve trained in gyms and driveways. At Conoco and at her house. Wherever we could make it happen, we did. She is proof that strength isn’t about how you feel — it’s about showing up even when it’s hard. Especially then.

Her story reminds us: It’s not too late. The comeback is real. And with time, trust, and training — your strongest years can still be ahead of you.