Carmen Shawn Midlife Wellness & Lifestyle Coach

Bronze medal in my age group! 🥉

This race actually felt really good, and for the first time in a while I could really feel the improvements. While I didn't hit the exact time I was aiming for because of a strained hip flexor, I'm proud that I got to the start line, gave it everything I had, and came away feeling like I accomplished exactly what I needed to.

Every race teaches you something, and I learned a lot this weekend.

Now it's time for a short break until September to let my body recover and focus on strengthening my hip flexor, adductors, core, lower legs, and my end-range strength coming out of the blocks. Sometimes the biggest improvements happen when you step back, rebuild, and come back stronger.

I couldn't ask for better teammates or a better track community. Thank you to everyone who made the Canadian Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Laval, Quebec such an amazing experience.

I can't wait for the new season and to see what more improvement is ahead! 💙🏃‍♀️

I recently had the opportunity to join Dr. Shawna Darou, ND, on her podcast, Unstoppable at Any Age... and honestly, she had me at the title. 😬 Shawna Darou, ND

I'm so grateful she gave me the space to share my story. We talked about my journey, from starting in the health and fitness industry at a young age to navigating the different decades of life, competition, setbacks, and everything I've learned along the way. It was such a meaningful conversation, and one I'm really proud to share.

One of my favourite takeaways from our conversation was this:

"If your plan only works on your best days, it probably won't work long term."

So many people think they have to be perfect. They think they have to eat perfectly, work out the same way every day, and never miss a beat. But life happens. We get sick, plans change, work gets busy, and sometimes we just don't have it in us.

That doesn't mean we throw the whole day away.

Instead of saying, "Screw it, I'll start again in a few days," ask yourself, "What's one thing I can still do for myself today?"

Maybe it's having a healthy breakfast. Maybe it's going for a short walk. Maybe it's drinking more water.

It doesn't have to be everything. It just has to be something.🙏🏻

Those small actions are what build consistency, and consistency is what leads to lasting change.

Thank you again, Dr. Shawna Darou, for such a thoughtful conversation and for inviting me to be part of Unstoppable at Any Age. ❤️

When I joined a Masters Track Club at 54, I thought I was just signing up to sprint. 🏃🏻‍♀️

What I didn't expect was how much it would change the way I see myself.

For years, especially working in the fitness industry, I felt like my value was tied to how I looked. As women, we're often taught that our appearance is our currency. 🎯

Track changed that.🙏🏻

Today, I focus less on how my body looks and more on how it moves, feels, recovers, and performs. Instead of forcing my body to fit a certain image, I'm learning to work with it. Ironically, that's when positive changes started happening naturally.

The community has been one of the biggest gifts.🏆

I've been part of fitness environments where people were judged by their appearance and leanness. This is the opposite. People support each other, share advice, celebrate progress, and genuinely want to see one another succeed.

Nobody cares if you're the fastest. Nobody cares what you look like.

They care that you show up. 🤜🏻🤛🏻

And it's incredibly inspiring to train alongside people in their 60s, 70s, and even 80s who continue to compete and challenge themselves. They remind me every week that aging isn't about decline. It's about adaptation.✨

There was a time during perimenopause when I could barely recover from workouts. I wasn't sure I'd ever feel strong again. What I've learned is that our bodies can recalibrate when we give them time, patience, and the support they need.

Instead of fighting my body, I've learned to trust it.❤️

That shift has changed everything!

This doesn't just apply to young girls.👇🏻

Starting a sport in midlife can be just as powerful. ❤️

For me, starting sprinting has been a game changer. Not because of the times on the clock, but because of what it's taught me about myself, what I'm capable of, and how much more there is to discover when you stop worrying about being perfect and start showing up. 💪🏻

My biggest menopause mistake I made? 🤔

Thinking my body had failed me.

And honestly, I understand why I felt that way.

There wasn’t enough information.
Now there’s almost too much.😵‍💫

Women are overwhelmed with advice, fear, conflicting opinions, quick fixes, hormones, supplements, “expert” opinions, and endless rabbit holes that often lead nowhere except more confusion and frustration.

But at the end of the day, this is a transition. A major one.
Not a personal failure.💯

And yes, sometimes it’s messy. Rocky. Emotional. Exhausting.
It definitely was for me.

But things started to shift when I stopped treating my body like the enemy.

The moment I stopped feeling sorry for myself and started getting curious about what my body needed now… everything changed.💓

My body recalibrated.
Not overnight. Not perfectly. But it did.

And a big part of that came from redefining what health meant for this stage of my life.

I stopped chasing who I used to be.
I stopped basing my goals on an old version of myself.

Instead, I started building habits, goals, and routines around the woman I am now and the future I want for myself moving forward.

That changed everything.💪