Success Story: Lindsay

Looking at a picture from her 25th wedding anniversary, Lindsay barely recognizes the woman smiling back. The photo reminds her of a time when she was always tired and struggled to do daily activities like walking up the stairs. “One of my officemates said when he first met me he thought I’d be dead soon because I was so overweight,” she says.

At 350 pounds, Lindsay knew she needed to make a change. She began working with a personal trainer doing three minutes of cardio each day and adding one minute to her routine each week. After building her stamina and entering her first races, Lindsay joined the YWCA, where she found a team of people who helped her to discover her inner-athlete and train for her first triathlon.

Since 2006, Lindsay has participated in more than 100 races—including 22 triathlons—and has lost more than 150 pounds! “It really transformed me,” she says, “because if I could do that, if I could lose that weight…what else can I do with my life?”