Growing up, if someone asked me to describe who I was, one of the things I would say was “I’m an athlete.” I played pretty much every sport I can think of – softball, basketball, swimming, tennis, diving, cross country, skiing and of course volleyball.

Being a sports competitor was very much a part of who I was through high school, where I played varsity volleyball, into college, where I was an outside hitter at LaSalle University. I lived for sports and it defined who I was up until I injured myself and decided to give it up to become a “normal” college student.

I remember when my volleyball days were over, I was devastated to think that the part of my life where I qualified as an athlete was done. I thought that if I wasn’t playing at an elite level, then I wasn’t really in that group anymore. I was too old to learn and master a new sport, so what was the point in trying?

Living in Lake Tahoe, I’ve quickly realized that athletic competition doesn’t end when you graduate high school or college. People I am meeting are not only incredible skiers, but they excelled at many other sports as well.

Take my boss for example, the guy is a world-class  snow skier, water skier, triathlete AND bike rider. He rides his bike AROUND Lake Tahoe – that’s 72 miles folks – in 3-4 hours flat on a regular basis.

Other people I’ve met are  golfers, dancers, hikers, rock climbers…it’s pretty awesome having so much athletic ability and passion around.

I’ve found renewed interest in practicing and perfecting sports. I’m taking ski lessons and pushing myself to become an amazing skier. I’ve also set a Summer goal to become a great golfer. And not forgetting my first sport, I’m researching competitive volleyball teams to join.

It feels really good to be getting the athlete in me back. I hope she sticks around for a long time!

What sports do you participate in? What ones do you wish you still did?