NOT ONLY A NURSE
NOT ONLY A NURSE LIFE OUTSIDE THE WING
I graduated from nursing school in 2008 and immediately began working on the Progressive Care Unit (PCU), a busy cardiac unit at the Chambersburg Hospital in Pennsylvania. I work with an incredible group of men and women who come to work every day to take care of those who need us. The 12-hour shifts can be taxing on you physically, emotionally and mentally, but at the end of the day, knowing my patients got the absolute best care is all I’m concerned about. Outside of the hospital setting, I have a beautiful 5-year-old daughter and a wildly adorable 2-year-old son (maybe I’m partial!). I also have an amazing man by my side. We celebrated 10 years of marriage this past summer. I ran my first Spartan race 18 weeks after my son was born. When you are not able to complete an obstacle in a Spartan race, a 30-burpee penalty is given to you. My husband was kind enough to split them with me when I wasn’t able to complete certain obstacles. It made 30 burpees seem more manageable.
Written by Maria Martin
To date, I’ve run 10 Spartan races and have two more on the books for this year. Every race has been an amazing experience for different reasons. The progress I’ve made since my first race has been really incredible. I never thought I’d be able to climb a rope or take on insane amounts of elevation climb. People always ask, “Why do you put yourself through that? WHY?” There are so many answers to that question: I love pushing my body and mind to do things I never thought were possible. I love being active and having races to test my abilities. I love being a role model to show my daughter that “strong is beautiful.” I love having something my husband and I can do together. I love the community of Spartan, the people I’ve met and the friendships that are formed on the course. I love that every race is an adventure. That’s why I race.
“TO DATE, I’VE RUN 10 SPARTAN RACES AND HAVE TWO MORE ON THE BOOKS FOR THIS YEAR. EVERY RACE HAS BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE FOR DIFFERENT REASONS." #notonlyanurse
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