17 years and still going strong, stronger, strong(her)
Happy 17th Anniversary to my Husband, my best friend, training partner, coach and my Inspiration, Ken Whetham.
Aug 21, 1999 we tied the knot in Las Vegas, no we did not get married by Elvis. It was the second marriage for both of us so we didn't do the big wedding thing, we went away, said our vows and had an amazing trip we will never forget. We came home and had a backyard reception with our closest friends and family. Sometimes the simplest of things are more special and more memorable than big elaborate expensive events.
I can say marriage isn't easy, raising a split family isn't easy but most people already know that. What is easy is knowing what is right, knowing how to support each other through thick and thin, through good times and bad and "Never Giving Up".
Ken and I are fortunate to have the same drive in life. We have the same interests in life and even though they don't always start out to be the same, in the end we eventually adapt and grow to each other's interests. One way or another whether through supporting each other or doing it together we come together as a team, as a "Power Couple".
One person in a relationship cannot succeed without the support of the other. Our first passion together besides our family of 6 children became golf. If we were not working or running the kids to their sports you would find us on the golf course. We took our vacations in South Carolina and spent our weeks off golfing. It was our passion at the time and we loved it. Always trying to get better, taking golf lessons, playing in tournaments, tweaking our clubs to get just the right shafts and grips.
Riding motorcycles became one of our favourite passions. We rented a Harley on our honeymoon in Vegas and got hooked. We came home and bought our first bike. It wasn't long after I got my license and bought my own bike too. We loved long rides through the mountains and hills and taking the kids for rides. Riding a bike is like seeing the world from a different pair of eyes. Everything always looks better from the seat of a bike.
Next up was Ken's desire to become a firefighter. He spent 8 gruelling years, course after course, physical after physical trying to obtain one of the world's most sought after jobs. I stayed by his side, supported him through this endeavour and because he "never gave up" he got the job in 2009. Some told him give up you are too old you will never get hired. That only fuelled his fire more to again, beat the odds and get his dream job. Ken was the oldest guy to get hired in Oshawa at the age of 44 years young. After Ken's first shift at the firehall he came home with the biggest smile on his face he said "I can't believe I traded in my gun for a blankie".
Of course with the Firefighter job came a new challenge of the toughest 2 mins in sports. Ken wanted to try the firefighter challenge. This took alot of time to train for but I still stood by his side, helped him train and I even trained with him and the other firefighters. Again, supporting each other and helping them achieve their goals is key to a long lasting relationship.
What's next you ask, why Kettlebells are up next. This is a long story so I will keep it short. In fact here is a quick video of our Kettlebell story.
To this day Kettlebells are our passion. We host workshops, teach classes, coach and compete. Our entire basement has been transformed into a Kettlebell Studio. Some say we live and breath Kettlebells and my nickname is Kettlebell Sheri! Our biggest passion with Kettlebells is sharing our knowledge and the benefits of this amazing tool.
And now the past 3-4 years to this present day. Powerlifting has become our life, our passion and our dream. Becoming part of Team Elitefts in 2015 has changed our lives. We Live, Learn, Pass On, every single day. I am a Sponsored Athlete and Ken is a Columnist for Elitefts. We often travel down to Columbus Ohio to train with our team, to host workshops and to help coach at Powerlifting Experiences and most recent the Clint Darden Seminar. Our vacations as of late have become travelling to train or travelling to the World's or the Nationals in Nova Scotia. We take our training serious and do it because we are passionate about it.
"PASSION TRUMPS EVERYTHING"
Training as a couple and understanding the time commitment is a big part of staying together. The time commitments for a sport like this is astronomical and being able to share this is a huge bonus for a couple. We are very fortunate that we share this and are both relatively good at it. Our next vacation is the World's in Baton Rouge November 2016 where we will take the platform being part of Team Canada, Team Elitefts and Team Outlaws.
Another huge time commitment we have is owning our own gym and kettlebell studio from our home. We open our home to others to help them be better than they were yesterday. One thing about both Ken and I is that we love to Live, Learn, Pass On. We are always helping others and sharing our passions with them. Another huge thing we have in common.
Supporting each other through injury is also a big deal. I have had more set backs than Ken and could never have made it through without his constant support between my back, knee and shoulder surgeries he had his work cut out for him. Thank you for helping me "Overcome Adversity" Ken, I could not have done it alone.
So from our Kids, to our dogs, to Golf, to Motorcycles, to Kettlebells, to Firefit, to Powerlifting, to Team Elitefts, to Dancing at our Daughter's weddings, and now to our beautiful Grandchildren our loves still grows strong. If I could wish one thing for every person is that they find someone to share their life with who they have things in common with. Someone you can share with, train with, compete with, laugh with, cry with, love, respect and trust.
Happy Anniversary Ken, may the next 17 years be just as eventful as the past 17. I cannot wait to see what the future brings us and watch our Grandkids grow up into the amazing adults our children have become. I never knew how full my heart could be until I became a Gramma. Age is just a number and getting older isn't so bad after all.
Always kiss goodnight and never ever go to bed mad.
#passiontrumpseverything #livelearnpasson #happyanniversary #powercouple #driven