Name: Sally Murdoch
Age: 42
Involved in: Tennis with elliptical training on off-days, snowboarding, Standup Paddle-Boarding - I have SUPped in Hawaii, Oregon and Florida
Called to recreation
I was sort of a gymnast as a child and spent most of my time outdoors combing the forest in Oregon. We had woods all around us. My love of athletics didn't truly start until I was about 10 and the PE teacher placed me in charge of the school's "Field Day." I don't know why he did it, but I think it had something to do with the fact that I was one of the only girls to climb to the top of a rope and do a record number of chin-ups. I relished every moment of being in charge of the field day events, running around with a clipboard and recording kids' athletic endeavors.
As an adult, sports and fitness remain a focal point of my life. For the last 15 years, I have headed up PR divisions at Adidas America,TaylorMade Golf, DC Shoes (a division of Quiksilver) and other large sports brands. Because sports and recreation have been at the forefront of my life and career, I have moved to the mountains of Colorado and the beaches of San Diego in pursuit of an active lifestyle.
Staying motivated and challenged
GirlsGoneSporty (GGS): What is your motivation for staying active?
Sally Murdoch (SM): My motivation for staying active is letting the world slip away. It is meditative for me.
GGS: What sports or fitness accomplishments are you most proud of?
SM: The two athletic achievements I am proud of are 1) losing 56+ pounds through athletics after having my child, and 2) my long term devotion to tennis. When I was pregnant I ate everything I wanted for 10 months and with my husband created a beautiful healthy child. But I gained 63 pounds doing it!
As for tennis, I began playing at age 13 out of sheer boredom - I just started hitting a tennis ball against the wall of our garage for hours on end. My forehand got pretty good this way! I ended up playing for our high school team, took lessons that I paid for as a teen, and continued playing at a leisurely level through college. In my 30's, tennis became more infrequent as I swam, ran and skied.
I moved back to my hometown of Portland, Oregon six years ago, and one of my first investments as a new mom, wife and business owner was to invest in a racquet club membership for my family. It's not cheap, but here in Oregon it rains for nine months of the year, so if you play tennis, you commit to indoor courts. Tennis is such an important part of my life that although at lean times I wondered how I was going to pay the $133.00 monthly dues, I never thought about quitting the club - I love playing and competing too much.
With tennis, it doesn't take long for me to enter 'the zone" and forget about the stressors of daily life. After pregnancy, tennis helped me get my waistline back, especially now that I have amped my playing up to a cardio level.
I now have my four year old enrolled in pee wee tennis at our club because I want to pass the love of tennis on to her. While it is mostly adorable to see a pack of mini-kids hitting balls barely over the net, I am introducing her to a sport of a lifetime. I also love that her teacher is a real certified pro, not just a camp counselor.
Tools of the trade
GGS: What’s your favorite healthy food or dish?
SM: My new favorite meal is roasted broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and turkey bacon.
GGS: What's on your workout playlist?
SM: My workout playlist is the Ramones Pandora station, which includes lots of Misfits, Social D and Replacements. I am a child of the 80's.
Live the sporty life
GGS: What does the phrase “live the sporty life” mean to you?
SM: “Live the sporty life” means to know that through body movement, anything is possible. It means you prioritize sports and your own athletic involvement so that you work your life around them. Your career, your child and family, everything revolves around athletics. I hate it when people talk about the sports they have just taken up, then come to find out a week later they go back to old sedentary habits. Our bodies were simply not meant to sit. In my next life I want to be a pro athlete more than anything else in the world!
Add your comment below