15 Marina Gelman - How Adopting an Athletic Mindset Saved this Mother's Life

Published: April 3, 2018, 10 a.m.

b'

In 2000, at the age of 40, Marina Gelman lost her college-aged daughter in a tragic car accident. At the time, Gelman was a new fitness enthusiast and avid runner. Overcome by grief after the accident, however, she holed herself up for almost two years and focused only on work to numb the pain. Unfortunately, during this time, she abandoned her fitness goals, started smoking again after a long hiatus, and put on weight; reaching over 200 pounds.

Ironically, it was another tragedy a short time later, the death of her Father from a heart attack, that inspired her to start training again. As it turns out, training non-stop turned out to be a blessing and a curse. Yes, she lost weight and found relief from her stress and heartache, but she was also overtraining\\u2026severely. Marina eventually succumbed to the devastating effects of chronic fatigue. Even the simple act of walking up a flight of stairs became unbearable.\\xa0

In 2012, after hearing about Matt Dixon and Purple Patch from her running club, she reached out. At the time, she was 240 pounds, her heaviest. She explained to Matt that she had only two small goals:

  1. Recover from her chronic fatigue
  2. Run three miles again. That\\u2019s it.

Matt set her sights higher. Not only did he give her hope, but he also gave her a long-term structured plan and a wonderful community of support. Today, Marina Gelman is a Half-Ironman finisher, with her hopes set on finishing a full Ironman in the near future. She has also lost 105 pounds and trains daily, fully recovered from chronic fatigue.\\xa0\\xa0

This is a story of hope and promise. Adopting an athletic mindset, regardless of where you find yourself, just may be the one spark to save your life. \\u201cLosing a child is something unimaginable to go through,\\u201d says Marina. \\u201cSport, in a way, and running saved me from sadness for the rest of my life.\\u201d

\\xa0

Attention Purple Patch Athletes and Fans:

We are so excited to offer our new kits with our brand new logo!\\xa0 Order today as the\\xa0last day to order is April 6th, 2018.\\xa0 We will NOT be offering another time to order.\\xa0\\xa0

We worked with NYC designer and triathlete,\\xa0Cesar Villalba, to\\xa0bring these super sharp Wattie Ink kits to you.\\xa0 The purple is the Pantone Color of the Year and is\\xa0deep and rich in person.

Don\'t forget to check out their sizing chart, but sizing is the same as last year.\\xa0 Please let us know if you have any questions

\\xa0

Follow us and learn more about our Coaching Services, Training Camps, Promotions and Matt\'s Latest Book,\\xa0Fast Track Triathlete:

\\xa0

Thanks for taking a listen and, if you like what you hear, please subscribe, share, rate and review. Your feedback is appreciated.

Subscribe to the Purple Patch Podcast:

\\xa0

Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

'