Posted on July - 18 - 2011
Success Story: Megan Pritchard
What started as a bet turned out to be a life-changing experience for Megan Pritchard.
A friend bet her she couldn’t last at boot camp class for a month.
Lesley Young/Special to The Commercial Appeal
“She was doing it, and she bet I couldn’t or wouldn’t do it for a month straight,” said the medical sales rep.
A month led to 31/2 years, and what Pritchard won in the bet were some important life improvements.
“It taught me how to plan,” said the 31-year-old.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, summer or winter, Pritchard shows up at Overton Park at 5:30 a.m. with small weights, a mat and towel and a bottle of water, ready to sweat.
“It’s a great way to start the day,” she said. “You lift weights and watch the sun come up.”
Getting up that early has forced her to plan everything in advance.
“You can’t pick out an outfit at 5:30 in the morning. So I have to plan it all out,” she said.
Training first thing in the morning also helps her set the tone for the day.
“You’ve already succeeded at something. You can already check a big thing off your list,” she said.
Not wanting to undermine her workout, Pritchard started paying attention to what she ate.
“My food habits totally improved,” she said. “Plus I’m in the diabetes arena, so I know what you eat has an effect on you in the long term. I pass the doughnut shop every day. It’s not a sacrifice. It’s just the right choice.”
Not an athlete to begin with, she found that working out on a regular basis gave her the confidence to try new things.
She recently bought herself a bike and took her first Krav Maga self-defense class.
“I love punching and pummeling things. Who knew?” she said.
She also found her inner runner.
“We run a few laps at the beginning of class. The fun thing is, while I hate running, I realized I’m a pretty good sprinter,” she said. “I’m always the last to start so I can intentionally pass people. It makes you feel good. Holly (Guthrie) leads us, and she’ll hear me coming and yell at me and we’ll race to the end. She’s only beat me twice. I keep count.”
Pritchard says the versatility of Guthrie’s class is what works so well for her.
“I like it because it’s well-rounded. It goes from Pilates to weights to yoga. And it’s always different. There’s never a pattern,” she said.
At the same time, she’s gained some workout tools she can take with her when she’s on the road.
“She’s taught us how to maintain. The repetitions she gives you, you’re able to take care of yourself if you have to,” Pritchard said.
And what’s true on the road is also true when she’s at home.
“You just have to show up for yourself,” she said.
Have you lost weight and kept it off, adopted better eating habits, started exercising or had success living a more healthful lifestyle? E-mail your story to .
Megan Pritchard
Age: 31
Hometown: Memphis
What she did: Pritchard attended boot camp classes in Overton Park at 5:30 a.m. three days a week on a bet. Three-and-a-half years later, she’s a new person.
Coach: Holly Guthrie, (901) 351-2475, hollywouldfitness.com.
Advice: “Plan for it, then don’t forget to show up for yourself. A lot of people don’t plan, and then a lot of people are really good planners, but then they don’t show up.”
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