Emily Snodgrass: Sweet & Strong
Ballerina gone Burpee! This woman has a background in elegance but a presence in strength. She’s always pushing her limits and giving her class a run for their money!
MEET EMILY SNODGRASS
…a licensed clinical mental health counselor at Carmel Counseling Center, specializing in working with children through play therapy. She married her high school sweetheart, Colton two years ago. The couple lives inrural Anson County, NC and attend a small church, Peachland United Methodist, where Emily works part-time as a youth leader and Children’s Ministry Director.
THIS IS HER STORY…
I am passionate about walking alongside people, especially children and teenagers. I enjoy caring for others, encouraging them to be the best version of themselves they can be. However, this is also an area of growth I am working on for myself. Enter Coach Kelsey!
CREATED, COMMUNITY & PUSH
My fitness journey encompasses these three words. When I began my fitness journey, my eyes were really opened to how wonderfully God created our bodies. Additionally, we were created to live within community, with other people. That’s why everything, including fitness, is better in community. Fitness is also better when we learn to push ourselves beyond our capabilities. It is then we learn our true strength.
GROWING UP…
…I was very active in basketball, softball, volleyball, dance and gymnastics. Throughout high school and college I taught dance and gymnastics. However, when I began graduate school, my fitness journey slowed down tremendously. At times,, I practiced yoga but didn’t find much time for fitness or wellness in between papers, exams, and clinical rotations. When I began work as a counselor at Carmel Counseling Center, I was introduced to MissionFiT. I knew then I needed to stop being stagnate and get active again!
AS A MISSIONFIT ATHLETE…
…I realized that I am stronger than I thought, but I don’t always push myself to my full potential and the old saying still stands: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail“.
PERSONAL “WINS” INCLUDE:
-Better endurance. I am not completely wiped out after workouts
-Faster. My Restart program time improved, comparing my starting the program to my finishing the program
-Follow through. After learning about meal-preparation, now I do it regularly.
-Friends. The bonds I formed with the wonderful women in our 4:50pm group is a lasting positive of my MissionFit involvement.
LOOKING FORWARD….
I now set deliberate self-care priorities. I also know I cannot care for others well if I am not caring for myself. My goal is overall wellness and I see the domino effect in other areas of my life. I am a better wife, sister, daughter, counselor, youth leader, etc. when I aggressively pursue wellness and fitness. In counseling, I view clients as holistic beings, taking the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of their lives together. However, I make the mistake of not always viewing myself in the same manner.
IN SUMMARY…
If I truly believe my body is a temple “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God, then I need to live out the calling to steward it well. We cannot minister to others if we are not first caring for ourselves. We are called to live out our faith in all areas of life, including fitness and wellness. For all these reasons, it is essential that our own well-being, both physically and spiritually, become our lifetime priority.
