Welcome to Friday’s Featured Female!

Friday's Featured Female, #FFF This weekly series features inspirational stories from admirable women.  IMHO, it’s always good to be reminded of how strength, determination, hard work, heart and ingenuity can impact the quality of one’s life and I’m proud that these women will allow me to share their stories here. Today’s #FFF is Nellie@BrooklynActiveMama.  I met Nellie at FitBloggin’ 2013 and finding out that she was from Brooklyn was only the first thing that drew me to her. Nellie is a woman whose style, warmth and dedication is easily readable from just her smile – but there’s undeniable sass there too.  There’s a strength about Nellie that’s rare.  She’s sweet but she’s no doormat! I love that Nellie is all about supporting her community of women whether they be bloggers, health and fitness enthusiasts or parents.   Let it be known that this woman has gotten me to get out my comfort zone not once but twice – in fitness (we had a very special Sweat Date last summer) and as a professional (when I was a featured panelist at A Healthy U, the health and wellness conference she helped co-found) and I’m forever grateful for both experiences.  Nellie is a woman you need to know (if you don’t already) so I’ll stop rambling and ask….

Soooo have you met Nellie?

 

Brooklyn Active Mama, fitness, health, parenting, fashion

Brooklyn Active Mama Nellie and her 2 boys

Hey yall! My name is Nellie and I blog over at Brooklyn Active Mama. I am so excited and honored to be a featured female in this series as I have personally been so inspired by the women that preceded me.

 

My fitness story is complicated, but whose isn’t? This fitness life is not easy, we are constantly battling outside challenges (like work, motherhood, extremely yummy food) while maintaining the fittest body we can!

 

I began blogging in 2011 because I was 5 months pregnant and frustrated. I couldn’t exercise the way I wanted to due to extreme sciatica, never ending morning sickness and some other complications. Prior to getting pregnant with my second boy I had successfully lost 40 pounds through hard work and exercise. Despite all of that fun morning sickness, I still gained 60 pounds with that pregnancy.

 

When it was all said and done I was 35 pounds over prepregnancy weight. Over the past 2 years I have worked really hard to lose 27 pounds–there was a lot of hills and a lot of valleys but my boys make putting my health first worth it.

 

Brooklyn Active Mama, fitness, health

27 lbs and counting!

 

When my youngest was 9 months old I got inspired to teach Zumba. Being an instructor has taught me so much about myself. I have always wanted to teach dance because it is something that comes so naturally for me. If someone were to do a DNA test of me it would come up “100% Dancer”. To see the impact/dedication from my students is completely humbling.

 

Brooklyn Active Mama, Zumba, fitness, instructor

Nellie teaching Zumba at A Healthy U, the conference she helped co-found

 

Recently I decided to step completely out of my comfort zone and start training for a 10k. I have always loved running races but have never pushed past the 5k threshold. Now that I am in formal training, I am crazy excited about this new journey and can’t wait to cross that finish line. I am being sponsored by Chocolate Milk for my first 10K race in September called Run 10 Feed 10 and I will be taking my first ever racecation to Walt Disney World next February for the Enchanted 10K during the Princess Marathon weekend.

 

Running always seemed like an impossible task for me, yet I am learning along my training that you can do anything as long as you put in the work.

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To give Nellie your best piece of running advice or to connect further, use these social media outlets:

Blog:   http://brooklynactivemama.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/glamnellie

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BrooklynActiveMama

Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/bklynactivemama/

Instagram:  http://instagram.com/glamnellie