Finding Your Authentic Self Through Physical Movement – What We Can Learn From Competitive CrossFitter, Surf instructor, Firefighter, and Coach Vanessa Lambert — Muscle Maven Radio Episode #16

Ashleigh chats with Vanessa Lambert, co-founder of Bee the Wellness, a health coaching and luxury healthy adventure retreat business, about her varied and eclectic background in fitness ranging from gymnastics to competitive surfing to CrossFit to firefighting and beyond, about the ways in which challenging yourself through physical activity can teach you who you really are.     A health and fitness enthusiast since childhood, Vanessa came into coaching quite accidentally. As a promising young gymnast, her coach asked if she would instruct the introductory classes at her gym. Her natural love of the movement was only deepened by sharing it with others. No stranger to competitive sport, Vanessa played soccer, basketball, swam competitively, and was also co-captain of her cheerleading squad. In her early 20’s she moved to Maui to improve her surfing practice and became one of the first female surf instructors in the Hawaiian islands. She and Adam were also an integral part of the CrossFit NorCal team that took third place in the affiliate games in 2009. It would be her years at NorCal Strength and Conditioning training under the tutelage of Robb Wolf and his wife Nicki, and later working with Mark Sisson, that her ancestral wellness practice would deepen. Working closely with Mark at the Primal Blueprint headquarters over four years, Vanessa developed their personal coaching program and luxury retreat vacations. This experience is what motivated her to co-create the Bee The Wellness program with her husband Adam, whom she met through their mutual work as firefighters. These days, her focus is to help as many people as possible become the very best version of themselves.     Minute Breakdown:   2 - 15  Introduction to Vanessa and how sports helped her build confidence from a very young age      15 – 19  The sports Vanessa and Ashleigh think are ideal for young people in terms of body awareness, strength, and confidence      19 – 35 Vanessa’s experience learning about surfing and moving to Hawaii to compete in surfing and become one of the first female surf instructors in Maui at the time     35 – 45  Why she decided to get into firefighting, and the challenges of the job as a 5’3, 125 pound woman; why the job is incredibly hard on your health and how to work around its challenges   45 – 55  How she and her husband got into CrossFit in the very early days, and what competing in the sport taught her about strength, capability, and goal-setting     55 – 1:07 How Vanessa and Adam developed their coaching business and luxury retreats company; a discussion of some of the coaching programs they offer, including her Authentic Self program     1:07 – 1:16 How she combines spirituality and mental health with physical health   1:16 – 1:19: Why “adventurous” retreats are so revelatory, especially for women who may be traveling or going on an adventure alone for the first time   1:19 -  What she’s learned about the human condition and physical and mental strength through her work coaching and going on adventures for a living     Learn more at beethewellness.com and follow along on Instagram @beethewellness   Reach out to me on Instagram @themusclemaven to say hi and tell me what you thought of the podcast, head to ashleighvanhouten.com to sign up for my weekly health and fitness newsletter, and if you enjoyed the episode please share on social media and leave me a nice rating and review on iTunes!      ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Show notes: http://www.shruggedcollective.com/mmr-lambert ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @Hylete- Hylete.com - MMR15 for 15%   ► Subscribe to Shrugged Collective's Channel Here http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedSubscribe