This year during the Tokyo Olympics, superstar gymnast, Simone Biles pulled out of two major events.
The six-time medalist told fans she was struggling with mental health. This turned into a very heroic moment in Olympic history.
Being able to give up on a dream to look out for yourself? Now that is courage.
Renee Cormier is another amazing athlete who is full of courage!
The 28-year-old from Cape Breton is a long distance runner and recently, she made a tough decision similar to Simone’s.
While training for October’s PEI marathon, she is tracking her training on social media.
Some of her followers noticed she stopped posting and they reached out, she said.
“I have a lot of supporters online. They follow my posts and love seeing my progress.”
She faced her fears of what her followers might think, and announced she would be running a half marathon instead.
She said she is in no way upset or frustrated with herself.
“Just because I’m not running a full marathon this fall doesn’t mean I’m not going to!”
She didn’t give up.
She just “put a pin” in her goal.
Simple as that.
She’s happy with her decision, and says she wouldn’t have been able to dedicate herself to training the way she wanted.
“I know my body, I know my limits. If I was to keep pushing towards a full marathon I would most likely fall out of love with running. Or I would get injured and that would be a bigger set back!”
In June she completed her first half marathon, so now she will compete with her existing time!
Renee is a personal trainer at 3rd Degree Training Montague and she considers stepping back from a goal like this, a sign of strength.
“It shows your strength in knowing your limits!”
It was a classic case of burnout.
She started a new job, her plans on buying a house fell through, the humidity was a killer, and on top of that—her high functioning anxiety wasn’t helping.
“I was overwhelmed by a lot of different things going on. I knew I needed to take a step back when I found myself crying over nothing.”
Renee has come a long way. This girl is on fire!
When she took her first shot at running, she said it took her just under 19 minutes to complete one mile.
“I felt so defeated but I knew I had it in me to get that number down.”
Once she started running intervals she fell in love with distance running.
Now she is happy to announce she finishes one mile in less than 10 minutes!
“It’s time for me to clear my mind while challenging myself.”
In 2018 Renee lost 100 pounds!
It took a lot of hard work and dedication and she says she couldn’t be more proud.
“I feel so thankful for this second chance at a healthier life, and I want to help others reach their fitness goal and see their potential!”
She now runs because there was a time she couldn’t.
She said she doesn’t run fast, but it doesn’t matter.
“I put one foot in front of the other and that’s all that matters. Anyone can be a runner!”
Follow Renee Cormier on Instagram and prepare to be inspired. @reneeccormier