Carrying Weight
This has truly been a year of gratitude. I am thankful for the blessings, and I’m thankful for the lessons. Has everything gone the way I planned or tried to orchestrate? No. But has it turned out the way it was supposed to? Absolutely.
This year I set out to do 50 unique tasks before turning 50 next month. One of those tasks was to run another marathon (I know… call me crazy) and beat my time from my first one. And guess what? I beat it. I was aiming to shave off 4 minutes per mile, but I cut 2.5. Am I proud? Yes. But here’s what people do not know.
I gained weight—both physical and mental.
Last year, I started a new job in October 2024 and ran my first marathon in November 2024. It was a lot! Moving. Transitioning. Starting in a new district as superintendent. It was hard, but I came in physically, mentally, and spiritually grounded. I was prepared and ready to serve our students, staff, community, and city.
Fast forward to 2025.
This year has been great… but it has also been hard. As superintendent, I am truly humbled to serve, but people do not always see the weight you carry while leading. When “life” happens, you still have to lead through it—coaching people, supporting others, making tough calls. That’s the weight. There is this invisible backpack you carry, holding the burdens of an entire system while still trying to provide hope. You may not show everything you are feeling or thinking, but the weight is there.
And physically? I gained weight too.
When I started in my current district, I felt the healthiest I had been in years. I was running, lifting, and doing (most of) the things I was supposed to do. Toward the end of last semester, I noticed I had gained some weight, but I chalked it up to stress and a heavy workload. Through summer and fall, I continued training… but I also kept growing (and not in the direction I wanted—lol). Yet as I approached this second marathon, I realized something surprising: I was still getting faster. I was still building muscle. And my mental strength? It was the best it had ever been!
Even though I was “thicker,” I learned that I was strong—physically, yes, but more importantly, mentally tough. As I trained, my speed improved, my confidence grew, and my mindset sharpened. I’ve learned to love the skin I’m in. Am I perfect? No. Am I where I thought I would be? Probably not. But do I love myself? Yes. Am I proud of what I’ve accomplished in this body, at this time in my life? Absolutely.
During the race, I prayed and reminded myself that mental toughness was going to be the key. I started strong and I finished strong. Could I have done some things differently? Sure. But when self-doubt creeps in, I remind myself: I’m part of the 1% who has ever run a marathon. And even more? I finished. That alone is a blessing.
The point of this post is simple: sometimes the weight is heavy—physically, mentally, emotionally. But do not give up. Do not doubt yourself. Yes, it is hard. Yes, there may be noise. There may even be haters. In my work and in my fitness journey, I’ve learned not to listen to any of it. It’s just that…noise. You choose what you allow into your life, heart, and mind.
When I look back on what I’ve been able to accomplish, some of it shouldn’t even seem possible with everything I carry—as a superintendent, a leader, an educator, and a runner. But here’s what I know: we are mentally tough, we can stretch ourselves beyond what we think, and we can model strength and resilience for ourselves and others.
We are stronger than we have ever been—even with all that we carry.
I’m here to remind you: we can do hard things. I’m living proof that anything is possible.
Let’s continue to #InspireExcellence
