We recently connected with Cindy Deugo and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cindy, thanks for joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

I sat in the office of an amazing acupuncturist and doctor of Chinese Medicine after years of seeking answers for symptoms that could not be explained by Western Medicine. My body was tired and broken down after years of competing very successfully in paddling, triathlon, and running. He called my symptoms “the perfect storm.” My energy meridians were out of balance. Hormones and my digestive system were the culprits. Menopause had hit hard, and the energy I was putting into my body was not being processed properly. He told me it was like I had been using an “energetic credit card,” spending like I had an infinite supply. When the credit card bill came due, I had no energy in the bank to pay it with. I was in debt. My reserves were exhausted, and the only way to fill them back up was to make some changes that were long overdue.

I had crashed and burned in 2004 at an Ironman event in Penticton, BC, Canada. I was on track to qualify for the World Championships at Kona but had to walk off the course 14 miles into the marathon, losing fluids from both ends of my body. My body had finally pushed back after all the pushing it had endured. I eventually was told I had MS or was suffering from Lyme disease. Neither of those made sense to me, but as time progressed, the reality was, I could not perform at the level I was accustomed to.

We never make a change until it is too painful not to. That is something I used to say to my clients. I finally found out how painful it had to be for me to make the changes I needed to make.

I had won medals at the National level in paddling, placed top 3 women overall or in my age group in most of the triathlons I competed in, and qualified for Boston in the second marathon I ran. My body served me well for many years. The truth is, I used sport as a way to not have to deal with what was going on inside of me. Overspending my energy served me well until it no longer served me at all. The belief that “if I did enough, I would be enough” (because I believed I wasn’t enough) was draining my life force. When there was no well to draw from, no reserve to tap into, it was time for me to change.

After years of stepping away from racing, putting money back into my energetic bank, I had the privilege of being invited to try out for the Canadian Women’s Over 50 Dragonboat team to race at the World Championships. Not only did I make the team, but we won 4 gold medals and were undefeated at every distance we raced. It was a peak experience in my life and a realization that there is more to sport than just working hard.

When you don’t listen to the deep voice of your authentic self, it will only be a matter of time before it finds another way to demand your attention. The body ALWAYS wins. Enduring physical pain rather than exploring emotional pain is certainly easier for a lot of athletes. It was easier for me until my body collapsed under me. When I finally had to listen to what that deep voice had been saying quietly for so long, I had the opportunity to stop beating myself up and start standing in who I really am.

Standing in authenticity and the belief that I was enough, I got to see what I was really capable of and develop a level of consciousness I had never experienced. Using sport as a vehicle not just to win awards or medals, but to find a deeper sense of purpose and a deeper sense of self is what I learned and eventually wrote about in “The Power of A Conscious Athlete.”

Cindy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

The Conscious Athlete LLC was born out of necessity, experience, education, and passion. I discovered my passion and identity through sports just before entering University. Before that, I was an overweight teen who often got picked last for teams and didn’t particularly enjoy exercise. Initially, my plan was to marry my high school sweetheart after graduating, but my parents encouraged me to pursue post-secondary education (thank goodness!). I went on to earn degrees in Exercise Physiology, Psychology, and Education. After coaching at the canoe club I paddled for and serving as the Director of Personal Training at a local gym, I became a high school PE and Biology teacher. I loved what I did and intended to marry, have children, and continue teaching to be home with my children as much as possible. While I did marry and have children, my life veered far off the plan of being a teacher in my hometown of Ottawa, Canada.

In short, I married and moved to Barbados in 1990 with my first husband, had a daughter while there, then moved to Florida where I had a son and longed to return “home.” I managed to get part of the way back, settling in Northern Virginia after my divorce and raising my children there. I built a community of friends by starting a local running club and then a triathlon club. During this time, I began coaching and personal training as a side gig while my children were growing up.

As a flatwater paddler in Ottawa, I achieved a level of success I never thought possible. Triathlon, which was relatively new when I started in 1983, also boosted my confidence as an athlete. I continued to build my athletic resume by competing in half and full Ironman distance races, along with racing flatwater kayak whenever possible. I coached athletes in running, triathlon, and provided personal training at local gyms, slowly building a resume and the foundation of a business. Sport had become an unconscious coping mechanism for me while navigating life as a single mother far from family and friends.

From that unconsciousness, along with several setbacks of my own, came an awakening and a new skill set. In 2013, I formalized my business and became an LLC, starting to write my story as a way to understand the lessons I had learned along the way. Encouraged by many, I turned my writings into a book, and 10 years later, “The Power of A Conscious Athlete” was published.

What I am most proud of is how I maintained my authenticity at all times, “walked my talk,” and addressed body, mind, and spirit. My clients will tell you that I prioritize their health, wellness, and relationships over their performance.

Based on my experience as a coach and athlete, I believe that a better-developed state of consciousness is the missing component in sports training programs today. It is my mission to incorporate it into every athlete’s spectrum of training. Sport offers a way to develop a conscious awareness of who you are, where you are headed, why you are here, and what your purpose is. When you use the body as a platform for the soul, you have the ability to express your full potential.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience can be defined as the capacity to persist and overcome perceived adversity and setbacks; the ability to surmount failure and obstacles to reach goals. It implies a sort of “bounce back” capability and is cultivated through a cycle of stress and recovery.

In 2005, I faced a DNF (did not finish) at an Ironman event where I had anticipated achieving a personal best and qualifying in my age group for the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. I had fixated on that goal to the detriment of my body on multiple levels, and I received a much-needed lesson in the Canadian Rocky Mountains during Ironman Canada. Despite often priding myself on being able to “move mountains,” those mountains taught me that mountains don’t move; instead, we only break ourselves down trying to move them.

There are times when we push our limits, and there are times when those limits push back. After a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride in those mountains, and 14 miles into the 26.2-mile marathon segment of the race, overtraining and race-day sickness compelled me to stop on the roadside and end the race.

I sensed something was amiss even before starting the swim that morning. I felt off, attributing it initially to race-day jitters. Throughout the day, I struggled mentally and physically, grappling with the notion that it required more strength to “give up” than to force my body to continue performing. How would I explain to everyone I coached that I had to stop? What would they think of me? How could I have failed so dramatically? The image of the superwoman I believed myself to be had shattered, and deep inside, I feared losing respect or perhaps even love.

It took several months of rest, introspection, and realizing that no one saw me as any less because of that day; in fact, they respected me more.

For many years, my unconscious and emotional self had propelled my physical self. False beliefs about myself—feelings of unworthiness, being undeserving of love—drove me to prove my worth through success in sports. Fitness and strength provided a good facade, but the underlying fears persisted. These emotional imbalances drove my physical body until it was depleted and injured. As we eventually learn, external achievements cannot fix internal struggles. Sometimes, breakdowns precede breakthroughs.

The breakdown at Ironman Canada led to a breakthrough in understanding that sport can serve a healthy body rather than push an exhausted one—a “bounce back” into a balanced cycle of stress and recovery.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

For me, what has contributed to my success in my career is understanding the greater purpose of my life.

Years ago, I had a profound realization from the universe that revealed to me: “I am a midwife to the human spirit. I assist people in birthing things they don’t even realize are within them, waiting to emerge through the avenue of sport.”

Initially, I didn’t fully grasp the significance of these words, but they have served as a compass, a guiding North star, directing me to always look beyond the physical body, the goals, and the perceived limitations of my clients and athletes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theconsciousathlete.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-deugo-014630bb/