Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jill Barghelame. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jill, appreciate you joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
Absolutely. My upbringing was a bit different than what I feel is normal today. My parents had zero tolerance for laziness. I didn’t watch TV and there was no sleeping in on Saturdays. There were also no excuses. I spent a lot of my time on a horse, often in the woods, miles from my house. In some respects, I had a lot of freedom, but my parents were strict, so my freedoms were selective. I did have a lot of time to think. Today, kids are so constantly “busy” with activities and screen time, they never have a moment just to be still and think. Or listen.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?
I’m the 4th of 5 children and was born and raised in a small Idaho town. My parents put me in gymnastics in hopes of it channeling my energetic nature. Gymnastics led to competitive sports in high school which ended up in a full ride athletic scholarship to college. It was there that I qualified for the 1996 Olympic Trials in the Javelin. I grew up in a weight room really and when it was time to go out into the real world, I felt most comfortable in a gym so I decided to stay there.
I think most people want to help others. I think most of us have an inherent desire to be useful and beneficial to the world around us. Mine was in the form of exercise mostly, until I became a mother. Motherhood has expanded my love of health to include the mental side as well. I created a program for kids called Arete Warriors. Arete is a Greek word meaning excellence in mind, body and spirit. This 10 week program, and the journal that accompanies it, empowers youth by building self confidence and awareness. The physical, nutritional and emotional aspects of health are of equal importance. Arete Warriors improve their athleticism, but also their self-awareness, discipline and respect.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
We struggled to conceive Izak, for years. And after trying unsuccessfully to make him a big brother we were essentially kicked out of the fertility clinic. There is a lot of emotional struggle that comes with trying to make a family. It’s a fine line between “letting go and letting God” and “not taking NO for an answer”. There are many who tried longer and harder than we did who were not successful in fulfilling their dream. We were lucky that my desire to have another baby outlasted the obstacles that were put before us. We searched out a few different paths that eventually led us to our second miracle, Nadia.
This same tenacity was essential when I spent 7 years in various states of SICK (coughing so hard I cracked ribs, etc). I endured years of illness, while maintaining a full fitness and personal training schedule. I often had no voice, would cough constantly, sore throats so bad I could hardly swallow… and no one could figure out why. I had so many tests and saw so many specialists. I tried everything. My husband would roll his eyes at the plethora of ideas I would entertain. “If you get better, you’re not even going to know what did it because you’re trying so many things.” I didn’t care! I was so desperate to be WELL!
In both of the above examples, it was not ONE thing. The body is a bunch of systems working together. I think people often seek out the “one thing”, the SECRET they’re missing, when in fact, it is all the parts that make the whole that is important. It is not only exercise that makes someone healthy. I love the functional and wholistic approach to wellness.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
There are many, but most are in the form of reminding myself that the stories I tell myself, or choose to let live, do not always serve me well. The Arete Warrior motto is “I choose my thoughts. I control my actions. I chase my full potential.” Even as an adult, and the creator of this program, I have to remind myself of this often. Negative emotions are essential to living a complete life. It’s resisting and suppressing these less-than-fun emotions that get us into trouble. I fear so many people these days think that life is supposed to be the picture perfect highlights they see on social media so they think something is wrong with them when they are not always happy. Learning to notice what we are feeling, and that that feeling comes from a thought we are choosing to think, can have a profound impact on one’s mental health. Less judgement and more witnessing is my goal.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://AreteWarriors.com
- Instagram: @mytrainerjill
- Facebook: Jill Barghelame
- Linkedin: JillBarghelame
- Twitter: mytrainerjill
- Youtube: mytrainerjill