 Lisa Beckman was an overwhelmed and under-focused working mother. “I was juggling all the roles of a women – wife, mother, daughter, friend, boss – and my life was out of control”. She worked long hours and traveled from coast to coast for work. Not only did she not spend enough time with her family, she gained A LOT of weight and lost herself in the process.
Unable to walk up a flight of stairs without breathing heavily, she finally decided that enough was enough. “I was an athlete in high school and college, but became overwhelmed by all of life’s other responsibilities and lost track of what was important.” With her busy life, rushing from work to home to soccer to little league, she did not take the time to cook or exercise or do anything for herself. “I knew I needed to get re-focused,” and that is exactly what she did.
Lisa decided to focus on her weight and went “cold turkey on food.” She began to change her diet and drank protein shakes four times a day. She met with nutritionists and therapists every week. “I wrote down everything I ate. I counted calories. I carried healthy food with me everywhere so I didn’t have to eat something unhealthy. I also enlisted the help of my husband to cook and take care of the kids.” By making herself and her health a priority, and with the diet and exercise regime that Lisa followed, she lost over 30% of her body weight.
 Although her body and mind began to transform itself into a new healthier Lisa, she still felt like something was missing. That was when she came across Women’s Quest online and attended her first retreat, the Colorado Adventure Retreat. She was inspired by all of the women at the retreat, not just the staff, but the other attendees as well. Women, she says, who will be her friends for life. She was energized both physically and spiritually. The retreat helped her get her priorities in order and helped her realize what was truly important to her.
Lisa’s goal upon coming home from the retreat was to complete a spring triathlon. This was a feat she though was impossible for a girl who was s out of shape just a few months before. But inspired by the people she met at Women’s Quest, and motivated by the goals she set at the retreat, she felt she could do it.
“Once I lost the weight, I needed something to keep the weight off and I hated running. I saw an article in the paper about local women who did triathlons and they didn't look like super athletes, just normal girls. I called and they invited me to practice with them. I signed up for a race, so I wouldn't chicken out. I showed up to practice for a sprint triathlon figuring I could just walk the run. But I trained and ran the entire three miles, not fast, but I didn’t stop and walk.”
Lisa not only completed the sprint triathlon, but went on to complete a half-ironman. She has even received her certification in triathlon coaching so she could help others learn to “tri” to improve their lives. She stopped traveling for work so she could spend more time with her kids. “Overall, I just got my priorities in order. If you don’t ask for it, you don’t get it. There’s no harm in asking. I realized that I am strong enough to do it all without having to sacrifice anything!”
 Lisa hopes to continue to do triathlons, completing another half-ironman this year and raising money for Cherish Our Children International, which helps children in multiple causes, such as physical disabilities and homelessness, both locally and internationally.
She also hopes to attend another Women’s Quest Retreat in the near future.
Follow her on Twitter: @houstonwomentri
Or by visiting the charity for which she raises money www.cherishourchildren.org
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