This semester, I did the thing I swore I would never do, I returned to UNK. I went for one semester three years ago majoring in computer science and absolutely hated every minute. It was definitely not the right major for me but most importantly, I was in a different stage of life at that point. I was insecure, overweight and couldn’t see anything bright about my future. 

Fast forward to now and I am back in school full time, majoring in health and PE and minoring in Nutrition. God has a funny sense of humor. Never in a million years would I have thought I would be interested in the health field. 

I am taking a class right now that’s basically the introduction to teaching Physical Education. On the first day, we had to talk about our experience with PE classes while we were in school. I was the only one who had a negative experience. You could tell people were wondering what I was doing in this class, let alone this major.

This week, we had to discuss why we wanted to teach Physical Education. We had a few minutes to write down 5 sentences stating our Why? I stared at the paper struggling to come up with one. I instantly felt like I was in the wrong major. Could I seriously not think of one single thing? 

How would I explain that this isn’t my plan for my life but God’s.

In five short sentences. 

Here’s the funny thing, growing up I always swore I would never be a teacher. I don’t have the patience and do not do well speaking in front of a group. I always imagined myself working behind a desk having little interaction with people. 

Life has changed so much for me in the last three years, weight loss being a big one but realizing I have a much greater purpose in life. I have always had a passion for kids and now have fallen in love with fitness. I felt like God was telling me to merge the two loves together and teach kids about health and fitness. 

I wrestled with the idea for a long time before I took action. I stuck my foot in the water and decided to get CrossFit Kids certified and started coaching kids that way. I felt like God was telling me, that’s not enough, dive in and to get involved in the schools and help overweight kids learn how to be active and fall in love with a healthy lifestyle at a young age. To help even just one overweight child not have to go through what I did. 

That’s my why. 

To follow God’s call on my life and to be an advocate for Obese children. To make a difference in the life of those children, the ones often over looked. 

Following a plan that’s not your own is scary. That’s when you have to trust in His plan and his timing. The reward is worth the journey.

A lot of people get shocked when they find out what my major is. That makes me want to stick to it even more, to prove I can and will make a difference. 

Are you working a job that you are passionate about or just going through the motions. I encourage you to take the risk and pursue a career you are passionate about. If we all were passionate about what we did, I believe the world would be a better place. Plus, you would be happier and your job wouldn’t feel like so much work. 

“If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” – Marc Anthony 

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Sara Theesen

Sara has struggled with her weight her entire life. After losing over 100 pounds at 20 years old, she is on a quest to help others overcome their battles with weight. Sara is currently a student at UNK studying Health and PE K-12 with a minor in nutrition. She also is a certified CrossFit L1 CrossFit kids trainer at CrossFit Archway. You can follow her blog at http://fattofreedom.wordpress.com/ and follow her on Facebook at Fat to Freedom.

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