by Ronda Einbinder

If Sherry Coulombe’s future could have been predicted five years ago, she would have been told that she would lose 168 pounds and then compete in numerous marathons and ultimately the Florida Ironman Competition. At that time, she became out of breath just walking to the mailbox and had tried to exercise but found it impossible, so she would have laughed off that prediction. But after undergoing weight loss surgery, Sherry became inspired by her new set of running friends who helped her believe that she could do what she never thought was possible.

Sherry is an inspiration to those who spend their life watching from the sidelines and think they cannot participate. Her desire to exercise began one month after undergoing weight loss surgery when she joined a ladies gym, which ultimately led to her joining a training group. “It took a couple of weeks for me to get the courage to run, so I went to the park and started with a one-mile path,” Sherry explained. “I realized I was in good enough condition from the gym, so I made it two miles.” At eight months post-op, and down to 215 pounds from 348, Sherry ran in Atlanta’s PeachTree Road Race.

Sherry’s desire to run grew stronger, so she signed up for a 10k race called the Strong Leg Run. “I never thought I could do a 5k, let alone a 10k,” Sherry said. “I did the race and hated every minute of it. It was hard; I had never run a 10k race before, but I was going, going, going. As soon as I crossed the finish line, I felt this euphoric sense of what I had accomplished. I told my husband at the finish line that I was going to sign up for a marathon next.”

Sherry kept her word and spent the next year preparing for the 2005 Marathon. “I thought people who ran 5k races were superhuman people who were born athletic,” she said. “It was something I never thought I could do. I was looking in a magazine and found an ad for a local training program called Get Fit Atlanta. I was intimidated because I had never trained with a group before and I was a new runner. They got me through my first marathon. If I did not have my training buddies with me, I probably would have quit. As much as it was physical, it was also mental. You are tired and have to keep going and they kept me going.”

After undergoing reconstructive surgery in May 2006, Sherry purchased a bike and began swim lessons in order to compete in a half triathlon. “I was not a good swimmer, so I bought a DVD that taught me proper laps,” she said. “When I finished the half triathlon, I again had such a great feeling of achievement. It was then that my coach, Jim, signed me up for the Ironman Florida the next year.”

With her weight down to 180 pounds, Sherry spent the next year preparing for the race that she would ultimately finish in 14 hours. “The original plan was that I would do the Ironman and then have a baby,” Sherry said. “But when I finished the race, my husband saw how excited I was after 14 hours of physical exercise and thought about how much better I could do in the future. He approached me with the idea that maybe I could do one more.”

Whatever she may decide to do, Sherry has proved that she has what it takes to make the impossible possible.

SHERRY’S ADVICE for those having Weight Loss Surgery

• Believe in yourself. A lot of people have low self-esteem. They don’t believe they can do something so they don’t even try. Once you believe in yourself, then you can make it happen.
• Stick to it. It is not easy. It is more than losing the weight. Stick with the plan. You may feel up and down, but you have to see the big picture.

April 2008