As the theme is gratitude, I will focus on ideas and moments for which I am grateful.
A is for Athleticism
For the vast majority of my youth, I was a really athletic child. I wish I had some photos to show but I was always running, running everywhere. I also really prided myself on being able to run fast, bike hard, jump hills on my scooter. I was in a running club when I was in elementary school and I have specific memories of challenging the fastest kid in school to a race during recess. I remembering winning one time but he beat me the next, which just indicated I needed to practice more.
I was a gymnast from an early age, specializing in bars and vault. I also did dance for a time but my passion was in tumbling. I recall gathering a group of similarly-minded girls and we’d do back bends and cartwheels and round-offs on the playground.
As I got older, I joined the swim team; all three middle school years. I was fast too and great at the back stroke. But then we moved in my freshman year and I was too nervous to go out for it in the new school. That was about the time I stopped doing physical things and got fat. I might still shoot hoops in the driveway from time to time but I made friends with, well, non-sports people.
Thankfully, as I got through college, I met my husband who had walked a similar path of being very athletic then not at all. Together we joined a gym, then gave rock climbing a go for about 2-3 years, then started our running decade. These days, we’re doing road biking and have RAGBRAI in our future. It’s something I am grateful for: a body I can bend and mold into what I want it to do. I learned over my 46 years here how to manipulate it to do what I want and I am thankful.
incognitusscriptor.com 
My mother-in-law was a walker – she walked at least 30 minutes a day until she was well into her 90’s. When she was no longer able to walk outside, she walked in the mall. When she could no longer walk in the mall, she would set her kitchen timer and walk 30 minutes insider her house – around and around. I truly think that is one of the reasons she lived such a long and healthy life. Way to go – keep up the activity!!
I totally think the key is to keep moving. My grandpa was still walking fine until he died at 96! Other stuff got him but it wasn’t a mobility issue. It’s a goal of mine to keep active.
Interesting. The move freshman year? What might have been?
I don’t think the drive ever really leaves, even if the main competitor is yourself.
Yeah I might have been a lot more involved in sports and other high school activities if we’d never moved.
I did gymnastics as well and wow you lose your flexibility quickly once you stop doing those types of exercises regularly. You seem to have found your groove now though and biking and running are both great sports for adults. I’m glad you joined the A-Z! I will follow along.
I’m glad you’re staying active. I’m grateful to be able to move and plan to use my body to stay fit for as long as I can! I was also fast as a child run, doing well in sprinting track and field events in elementary. Then I switched to distance. I wasn’t as fast but I don’t regret it because it normalized running miles at a time which served me well for years as an adult when I trained for long runs.