Eventually, the thoughts of nothingness began to subside. I came to see them as the lactic acid of my soul. And just like physical lactic acid, it can be cleared—so long as training has structure, and is followed by rest and recovery. The bonus: with progress, the body delays its onset and expedites its removal. In a similar way, my soul has been healing. Mobility—the very act that builds physical strength—also gives me hope…

High performance systems were built around the structures that had money—male sports. Male bodies are more straightforward for those systems: train and recover. Women’s bodies are more nuanced: a 24-hour hormonal cycle for men versus a month-long cycle for women; different injury risk, recovery needs. You need more interventions and more feedback loops to prime female athletes…

Whether I’m commuting, speeding along a country road, or navigating roots on a wooded trail—whether I’m greeting my favorite tree, noticing the smell of blossoms, or catching the light of a rising sun—I’m reminded of life’s meaning. Legs moving, gears turning, air flowing, and smiles exchanged along the way: these are moments of poetry revealed through daily motion…