Today we’d like to introduce you to Theresa Kulikowski-Gillespie.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The first half of my life was dedicated to gymnastics. I started at 2.5 years old, and it quickly became my first love. I was talented and motivated, which allowed me to excel in the sport from a young age. In my 21-year career, I competed at the 1995 World Championships and won a team bronze medal, was the 1996 Olympic alternate, and was an NCAA all-around and two-time balance beam champion.
Although I experienced great successes as a gymnast, I also struggled with a lot of injuries, tearing both anterior cruciate ligaments in my knees (at different times), avulsing my hamstring, and tearing my rotator cuff. I also dealt with immense depression at times, anxiety, and disordered eating, which certainly put a damper on some of my time as a gymnast.
Through the struggles, I sought answers. At times, I reached out to professionals such as nutritionists and psychologists and felt fortunate to have those sources of support available to me through college. At other times, I looked for answers on my own through books, spirituality, and introspection. As a teen and young adult, I read books such as The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman, Working Out, Working Within by Jerry Lynch, and The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama. These books planted the seeds for practices rooted in Eastern religions, such as meditation and mindfulness.
When I retired from gymnastics, I felt broken in every way. I remembered these books and began reading more of the same. I turned to Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach’s teachings on mindfulness, loving-kindness, and self-compassion. I started practicing formal meditation and shifting my relationship with my body and life. It is a work in progress, but these tools and methods helped me through the identity loss and darkness of leaving gymnastics and feeling entirely lost in my life.
I found a new purpose in medicine, attending the University of Utah’s physician assistant program from 2005-2007. I worked in orthopedics and pulmonology and felt a draw for more autonomy and purpose in my work. I decided to join the Army.
The Army was in my family. My grandfather served in WWII and earned two Purple Hearts. My father served on active duty and then retired from the National Guard. My older sister was a logistics officer, and my younger sister was a neurologist in the Army. I felt called to serve, too.
It was a stressful three years working as a physician assistant in the Army. I deployed to Tikrit, Iraq, from 2010-2011, and around this time, things started to shift in my health noticeably. During the deployment, I taught spinning classes, did high-intensity workouts, and ran half-marathons. Midway through my tour, I had a strange reaction to the Anthrax shot, and I started noticing some rather extreme anxiety. I had always lived with anxiety but had the tools to work with it and manage it. This felt more out of my control.
Then, right before I returned to the US from Iraq, I came down with a strange gastrointestinal and flu-like illness, and within the next year, I noticed a significant demise in my health. It affected me both mentally and physically. I kept getting injured every time I attempted CrossFit workouts. I needed more recovery between workouts and work, and I just started feeling off a lot of the time.
This continued for a few years, and then, following the prolonged and traumatic birth of my son in 2014, my health plummeted. I tried returning to work and resuming exercise, but my body couldn’t do it. I had to quit working when my son was just one year old, and I have been on a decade-long journey now to reclaim my health.
The past decade has been filled with immense frustration at the lack of answers for my health issues, and I have been disheartened by the lack of compassion and understanding in our healthcare system. I felt motivated to pursue more holistic health paths. Because I couldn’t work outside the home, I pursued online education and completed a functional medicine practitioner program with Chris Kresser, a world-renowned functional medicine provider. I became a mindfulness meditation teacher through the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. I have recently set my sights on becoming an Institute for Functional Medicine certified practitioner and am nearing completion.
In addition to pursuing medical knowledge to help myself and others, this past decade has allowed me to look deeply into my own life. It has been a spiritual path of healing that feels like a rollercoaster ride most of the time. Although not always pleasant and frequently filled with confusion, frustration, and physical discomforts, I am finding more moments of peace, insight, healing, and clarity with the help of mindfulness and the many practices I’ve learned along this journey.
I began a company called Fit Intuit a few years back, and it’s based on all of my life experiences and what I want to offer the world. I have lived elite-level competition, on one extreme, and then being bedridden and disabled, on the other extreme. The path of mindfulness meditation enriched with compassion and love has been my foundation. My hope with Fit Intuit is to bring my holistic medical knowledge, wisdom from experience, and mindfulness practices to empower others to heal from their wounds and genuinely feel like they are living the life they were meant to live: fulfilled, loving, unafraid, and rooted in truth.
I have a saying hanging in my house: “To bring peace to the world, we must strive to make our own lives peaceful.” I hope my journey more fully allows me to feel peace in my being and from there, support others in connecting with inner peace. And then…may there be peace in the world.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has undoubtedly been a challenging road.
As a gymnast, being plagued by injuries led to frustration and, at times, an inability to live up to my potential. At age 12, I started eliminating fat from my diet, and I believe that contributed to recurring injuries. I tore my hamstring when I was 14, and it took over a year to recover. I attempted to compete at two national competitions, and the injury kept me out both times. I spent hours of physical therapy at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, but it was a year of pain and impatience. However, I did come out on the other side and continued to progress in gymnastics.
My first bout of depression was at the age of 17. I dreamed of making the 1996 Olympic Team from the age of four, and when I missed the team by one spot, it was bittersweet. So close, yet so far away. I fell into depression, but I didn’t know what was going on. I began clinging to food and weight loss because much of my life felt out of control at that time. The light at the end of that tunnel was receiving a full-ride scholarship to compete at the University of Utah. Had I made the Olympic Team, they won gold that year in the team competition and all accepted money. At that time, that made an athlete ineligible to compete in college. I got to experience collegiate gymnastics, which was a gift.
Disordered eating was a struggle for years. As I mentioned, it began at 12 after reading a gymnastics article on one of my idols who limited her fat intake. I, being an extremist, basically eliminated fat entirely. Because fat is so essential for our nervous system and normal hormone production, I didn’t go through puberty and was unable to recover from injuries for most of my gymnastics career. After the Olympics, the eating disorder progressed from limiting fat to limiting calories, binge eating, and then overly restricting and over-exercising. I struggled with food and my body for years, throughout college and then several years after, but loving-kindness practice and self-compassion have supported my healing through the years.
My final year of collegiate gymnastics was tumultuous. I graduated in 2002 and had completed my four years of eligibility. However, in my sophomore year, I tore my ACL in my knee and was awarded a medical hardship year. This meant that I could continue for a fifth year of collegiate gymnastics. With hesitancy, I decided to compete in 2003, and my body and mind fell apart. They discovered a tumor on my spinal cord, and instead of knowing that this was enough to call it quits, I kept pushing through. At the end of the year, I tore my rotator cuff at the NCAA team final, and that was how my 21-year career ended. It was heartbreaking, and it took some time to process. This, however, was another impetus for seeking answers to my suffering and further drew me to healing practices.
Becoming disabled ten years ago has turned my life upside down. I had to give up what I had envisioned motherhood to look like, quit working out, quit working, and learn to rest. It’s an ongoing journey, but again, learning the act of self-love, self-compassion, introspection, creative expression, boundaries, and inner trust are slowly bringing things back into balance.
As you know, we’re big fans of Fit Intuit. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I started Fit Intuit over a decade ago, and it became an LLC in 2019.
What does Fit Intuit represent?
1. Everyone fits in here. Fit Intuit celebrates diversity and each of our unique gifts. We also celebrate our imperfections. To be human is to be imperfect, and Fit Intuit believes in loving ourselves, perfectly imperfect.
2. Fit Intuit empowers people to fit into their skin. We are forever changing and evolving, and it can be challenging to honor these changes when they don’t fit the status quo. Fit Intuit guides people with introspective tools and practices to love themselves and their bodies and feel fulfilled in their own skin. They “fit into” their unique physical form and celebrate it.
3. Holistic fitness is foundational to Fit Intuit, including lifestyle medicine (sleep, nutrition, exercise/movement, joy and stress, and relationships), self-love, self-worth, and listening to one’s intuition. We can begin to trust the wisdom of our bodies and allow self-trust to be our guiding light. We can stop looking outside ourselves for all answers and trust our inner knowing. This is called “intuitive fitness”, and Fit Intuit is built upon this tenant.
What do I do?
I offer one-on-one consulting. These are empowerment sessions that include:
-Deep listening: I listen deeply and encourage my clients to listen deeply to themselves
-Learning: I am learning about each client; they have a safe space to learn about themselves. Through mindful attention, clients can learn what they need to nourish themselves in mind, body, and spirit, where their boundaries are, and how to take better care of themselves.
-Education: Based on what is learned through deep listening, I offer education and guidance rooted in holistic medicine and mindfulness meditation. This may include talking about suggestions, referring to educational resources, recording personalized meditations for that unique individual, and providing a tailored holistic health plan specific to each individual’s needs
-Cultivation: Together, we cultivate loving-kindness, compassion (starting with self-compassion), joy, and peace. We do this through intentional meditation, personal mantras, journaling exercises, guided imagery, and other intuitive practices.
-Openness: We work together to stay open to each person’s process. The only constant is change, so as we learn more and trust the intuitive process, we will adapt and change as needed to support inner healing and fulfillment further.
What do I specialize in?
I work with anyone interested in this work but specialize in those suffering from complex, chronic illnesses. This can be a challenging time, and a holistic approach is essential to navigate the highs and lows of illness. That said, I love working with anyone interested in living their best life through holistic medicine.
What sets me apart from others?
I have lived the life of high-level athletics and the military followed by extreme disability which gives me a first-hand perspective, empathy, and compassion. Along with my lived experience, I have years of formal medical training in conventional and holistic medicine. Although I am not working as a PA in this role, I draw upon this training to teach, mentor, and empower through an integrative and holistic lens. I am here to empower others and do not want to dictate what people do. “Empower” is the word I use because through education, deep listening, and learning, each individual feels empowered to make better decisions for their own life. They feel more confident, self-assured, and worthy, and these feelings support health in body, mind, and spirit.
I’m most proud of what I have to offer. I am offering what I wish I would have had throughout the struggles in my life. It’s hard to do this all by ourselves, and I’m reminded of Peter Levine’s words, “No one can do it for you, and you can’t do it alone.” This means that we must be empowered to do our own work, but as social creatures, we need each other to do the work. I am that guide, mentor, and teacher who empowers each individual to do the difficult work while reminding them that they don’t have to do it alone.
To learn more, please visit my website: www.fit-intuit.org
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
In addition to the one-on-one services, I have written a few books that I would love to share, and I also offer an invitation to follow me on Insight Timer and join my live meditation sessions.
Books:
“Beyond the Battlefield: Stories of Tenacity and Mindful Guidance Along the Warrior’s Path”
-Dive into the heart-wrenching yet empowering narratives of real-life heroes in ‘Beyond the Battlefield’ by Theresa Kulikowski-Gillespie, a former Army physician assistant. With gripping honesty, this book unveils the untold stories of 15 military members, shedding light on their struggles, victories, and the transformative power of mindfulness and meditation. Through riveting accounts and expert insights, discover how these tools offer a path to healing and resilience amidst the chaos of military life. A must-read for anyone seeking profound understanding and inspiration
“Beyond the Chalk Box: Insight and Inspiration from Olympic Gymnasts”
-Embark on a unique journey into the realm of elite gymnastics with the unfiltered and heartfelt interviews presented in ‘Beyond the Chalk Box ‘. This exceptional book not only uncovers the challenges and triumphs of former elite gymnasts but also provides an authentic and unvarnished depiction of life in high-level competition.
From the exhilarating highs of victory to the crushing lows of injury and retirement, these athletes share their personal journeys with unflinching honesty. Their resilience in the face of adversity is a testament to the human spirit, inspiring readers to overcome their own challenges. Through their stories, readers gain insight into the intense pressures of elite competition and its profound impact on athletes’ lives.
‘Beyond the Chalk Box’ is not just a chronicle of athletic accomplishments. It’s a valuable resource for athletes, shedding light on the often-neglected aspects of athlete well-being. It underscores the significance of a comprehensive approach to health, longevity, and joy in sports. The book explores tools such as mindfulness, spirituality, self-compassion, visualization, and introspection, providing practical insights on how athletes can navigate the intricacies of their sport and cultivate resilience in the face of challenges.
‘Beyond the Chalk Box’ is more than a compilation of interviews. It serves as a beacon of understanding and connection within the elite gymnastics community. It underscores the strong sense of support and camaraderie that permeates among athletes. By sharing their stories, these athletes invite readers to deepen their empathy and broaden their perspectives on the realities of elite competition. Moreover, the book stimulates reflection on how to better support athletes—both during their careers and as they transition out of sport—so they can thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Whether you’re a gymnastics enthusiast, an athlete grappling with the challenges of competition, or someone seeking inspiration and insight, “Beyond the Chalk Box” offers a captivating journey into the heart and soul of elite gymnastics.
Available on Amazon and major book retailer Aug 2024!
“Mindfulness in Sport: Optimizing Performance Without Sacrificing Well-Being”
-In “Mindfulness in Sport: Optimizing Performance Without Sacrificing Well-Being,” you will discover how to harness the power of mindfulness to enhance your athletic performance while maintaining your mental and emotional health. This comprehensive guide is designed for athletes, coaches, and parents looking to integrate mindfulness practices into their training routines and everyday lives.
What You’ll Learn:
Understanding Mindfulness: Gain a clear understanding of what mindfulness is and how it transforms the brain to improve focus, resilience, and overall performance.
Neuroscience of Mindfulness: Explore the scientific evidence behind mindfulness and its positive impact on athletic performance, including enhanced concentration, reduced stress, and better emotional regulation.
Practical Tips for Integration: Learn practical strategies for incorporating mindfulness into your daily life and training regimen, ensuring that it becomes a natural and beneficial part of your athletic journey.
Body Scan and Breath Awareness: Discover foundational mindfulness practices such as the body scan and breath awareness, and learn how to use these tools to connect with your body and mind, reduce judgment, and foster a healthier self-awareness.
Informal vs. Formal Practices: Understand the difference between informal mindfulness practices—bringing awareness to daily activities—and formal meditation practices, which involve setting aside dedicated time to train your “mindfulness muscle.”
Step-by-Step Meditation Guide: Follow detailed, step-by-step guidelines to start and sustain your own meditation practice, including tips on posture, presence, handling thoughts, and setting realistic expectations.
Who This Book is For:
Athletes: Looking to improve focus, reduce performance anxiety, and enhance overall well-being.
Coaches: Aiming to foster a supportive and mindful training environment.
Parents: Wanting to support their children in developing healthy, mindful habits that enhance both their sports performance and their life skills.
Why Mindfulness Matters in Sports:
Athletes often face intense physical and mental stress, leading to burnout and injury. “Mindfulness in Sport” offers a solution by teaching you how to use mindfulness as a buffer against stress, promoting a balanced approach to training and competition. By integrating these practices, athletes can achieve peak performance without compromising their well-being.
Transform Your Approach to Training and Competition
Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just starting out, “Mindfulness in Sport” provides valuable insights and practical tools to help you perform at your best. Embrace mindfulness to optimize your performance, enhance your mental health, and sustain a fulfilling athletic career
Insight Timer:
Please follow me on Insight Timer at www.insighttimer.com/tkulikowski
You’ll receive free access to meditations and know when I’m offering live group meditaton sessions.
Pricing:
- Performance and Resilience Cultivation Offering: $250
- Elite Transformation and Peak Performance Offering: $3500
- Books: $5-$30
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fit-intuit.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fit.intuit/ https://www.instagram.com/theresa_kulikowski/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theresa.kulikowski.5
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresa-kulikowski-gillespie-a0340446/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theresakulikowski
- Other: www.insighttimer.com/tkulikowski