Anything that’s worth doing is hard... and doing something hard is always worth doing.

Hi, my name is Andrea Collins and I am so excited to start this transformation! I have a beautiful family, which consists of my husband, one daughter, two sons, and one precocious pug.

I started my career as a social worker in Chicago, but have been a stay-at-home mom since my first child was born. I love to travel and also enjoy camping, biking, golf, volunteering at church and school, and just hanging out with my family and friends.I also like to exercise in my spare time. My current exercise regime is walking, tae kwon do, running and some biking.

I want to do a triathlon because I simply thought I never could. I’ve always been active, but I thought people who do triathlons were nuts. Swim, bike and run? No thanks. That has changed in recent years when I rode RAGBRAI (The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) with my husband... on a tandem bike! 470 miles across Iowa! I found intense exercise relieved stress and it was fun. My kids thought it was great, too.

A couple of years ago, friends invited my husband and me to Madison to watch the mother of all triathlons – the Ironman. Witnessing the swim start that day was truly inspiring. The energy in the air was electric, and I wanted to be a part of it, too. Cheering on the Ironman participants was a blast – what an amazing feat! Inwardly I thought, "OK, I suck. I don’t think I have what it takes to even run a 5K." Well, guess what? I have since completed three 5Ks, and my husband has caught the fever as well. He completed his first triathlon last summer and has done three more since. He’s been encouraging me to try it, but I've been so nervous about the swim. Plus, we only have one racing bike between us….excuses, excuses!

I finally emailed Tom from Golden Legs about a swim coach and he gave me The Fitness Pursuit website. I saw the application for the Triathlete by TFP and filled it out, thinking this would be an absolutely perfect opportunity. I’m so excited and thankful that I actually won!

My ultimate goal is to become a triathlete and do it well with the help of TFP and Coach Matt. Now that my kids are all in school, I’m ready to take this training seriously, get stronger, and lose those stubborn 10 lbs. that my body is still relentlessly holding onto after having kids!

Most moms are guilty of not taking the time to do something just for ourselves. But as a mom, what better example to set for my kids to have a goal for yourself and do it. I’m trying to raise them to put forth their best in everything they do. The saying always plays in my head - anything that’s worth doing is hard and doing something hard is always worth doing. I hope you enjoy this journey with me.