Doing the Impossible

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.”

Read the rest of Doing the Impossible to learn more about Sherry in the Exercise and Fitness Forum.