Ever marveled at the seamless blend of following your athletic pursuits while also working and having a family? Tune in to our latest episode as we engage in a robust conversation with my friend and rockstar, Cecilia Wigal, a 60-something year-old professor of engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and an active member of our local women's group, Velo Vixens. This episode is a riveting tale of perseverance, passion, and the pursuit of an impactful career as Cecilia shares her journey from the corporate world to academia, and how her engineering expertise is making a significant impact on the community through her students' projects.
Discover how Cecilia maintains a balance between her professional commitments, personal interests and family life. We delve into her captivating experiences with open water swimming and how she infuses exercises into her family's routine. Learn about the role fitness played in Cecilia's life, especially during her battle with a brain bleed.
The episode accentuates the importance of adaptability and awareness of our bodies as we age, and how maintaining physical fitness can positively impact our health. So, are you ready to be inspired and motivated by Cecilia’s story? Tune in and let's begin this enlightening journey.
Find more about the SCAR swim we talk about here.
Follow me on IG: @kathy_mead_fronheiser
Check out my website: www.kathymeadfronheiser.com
Ever marveled at the seamless blend of following your athletic pursuits while also working and having a family? Tune in to our latest episode as we engage in a robust conversation with my friend and rockstar, Cecilia Wigal, a 60-something year-old professor of engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and an active member of our local women's group, Velo Vixens. This episode is a riveting tale of perseverance, passion, and the pursuit of an impactful career as Cecilia shares her journey from the corporate world to academia, and how her engineering expertise is making a significant impact on the community through her students' projects.
Discover how Cecilia maintains a balance between her professional commitments, personal interests and family life. We delve into her captivating experiences with open water swimming and how she infuses exercises into her family's routine. Learn about the role fitness played in Cecilia's life, especially during her battle with a brain bleed.
The episode accentuates the importance of adaptability and awareness of our bodies as we age, and how maintaining physical fitness can positively impact our health. So, are you ready to be inspired and motivated by Cecilia’s story? Tune in and let's begin this enlightening journey.
Find more about the SCAR swim we talk about here.
Follow me on IG: @kathy_mead_fronheiser
Check out my website: www.kathymeadfronheiser.com
Hey everyone, this is Kathy, your host of the Fun Over 40 podcast, and I'm really excited today to have my friend Cecilia with me. She's a friend here locally where I live in Chattanooga, and I met her through a women's. I never know how to describe it, cecilia. It's like a women's activity group, that's the best way I know how to describe it. It's called the Velo Vixens. I think when they first started they were all cycling. I mean, I think that was probably how the name you know happened.
Speaker 1:And anyway, when we came to Chattanooga a few years ago, I joined the Vixens as a way to, you know, meet like-minded women who are active and like to be active. Whether they compete or don't compete, like it doesn't really matter, we're just an open group for all, and so I met Cecilia. Cecilia also lives like literally within a mile of me as well, which is also interesting, so but I think you guys are going to be super interested and impressed with Cecilia, as I am, as she shares a little bit about her, who she is and her background and how she got into the types of sports and activities that she loves to do. But, cecilia, I will let you start by just introducing yourself and welcome.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, thank you, so nice to be a part of this. I've enjoyed watching your listening to the podcast, so it's nice to be a part of it and, yeah, especially nice to have you as a friend. Yeah, so I've. I'm, professionally, I am a engineer. I worked in industry for a number of years and then I've I have my PhD and I am now a professor of engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and my love is teaching freshmen the introduction engineering design and we helps to build of products to help persons with, and children with, disabilities to be more independent. So that's what I had no idea. See, I'm already determined. Yes, okay, so I kind of determined.
Speaker 1:I think I emailed you this. I was like I think I'm gonna hear some stories and learn some things that you know about you, because I always think it's interesting when you meet someone in like one sort of sector of their life, right like I met you through fitness activities, that kind of stuff. Like I didn't even know for a long time even what you did, and then once I found out, I mean I didn't know even as much detail as you just gave us about, like specifically, you know the types of projects in the class you enjoy teaching. I just knew you know you taught engineering and I thought, oh, that makes so much sense. I see the engineering now because you're very like methodical, you know and and so all of a sudden that was like, oh, but anyway. So I had no idea. That's super interesting. How long so when you were in industry, as you call it, in like the corporate world, is that what you mean? Kind of okay, like not academia did you work in? Were you working on the same types of products?
Speaker 2:no, I helped you fly, oh I designed electric power systems for my main, for the Boeing 747 Boeing aircraft. So my main, my first aircraft, was 747, which they just retired. Makes me feel very old and then the I've done support on the 767 and 757, so electric power systems.
Speaker 1:So I don't know, I ever told you that my dad was an air traffic controller, oh, okay, so there you go, lots of flying. Well, you know, like being close, like I'm from the Atlanta area, so that was, you know, working at the airport and all that kind of stuff. But, um, well, that's super interesting. So you got into the like helping people and kids with disabilities sort of niche when you started teaching. Is that correct?
Speaker 2:yeah, okay, yeah, I always had a desire to, but that's that's what I. We got a grant from the state and that and it and it built from that and so I've been doing it since then, and my students, and that's how I teach the students to design process. So, okay, just just on Monday they presented, the students presented eight projects which will be out there and in the community that's amazing.
Speaker 2:So helping children, all of these well, not all of them. One goes to signal centers, so um, and that one helps to adults, but most are helping children be more independent or or become when they're in the classroom that's wonderful.
Speaker 1:Well, good for you. We'll have to talk more about that on a bike, yeah, so that's what I do, that's what I professionally do, so I've been doing, I've been.
Speaker 2:I've been a professor here at University of Tennessee at Nougat since 1999 okay, and before that I came, I came down from a from getting my PhD at Northwestern in the Chicago area okay, so I've moved here and um, so that's that's what I do when I'm not out playing.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, and you've been married. For how long you are married? Oh, a long time since 85 okay, okay, and you have one daughter, my husband long time before that so we've known each other.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we've been together a long time, yeah, so, and a one daughter who's also an engineer? Yeah, and a musician yeah, um, because my other side thing I do is music, and so, um, yeah, so she's here in town too that's wonderful.
Speaker 1:Now, with the music, I've never really asked you this. I know you guys both sing, is that correct? You know D Jenelle's her daughter, by the way um, and then your, your husband, plays the organ, which is awesome. So do you and Jenelle play any instruments, or you guys? I play flute and she plays.
Speaker 2:French horn oh wonderful.
Speaker 1:Okay, she's a very good.
Speaker 2:She's an excellent French horn player okay and that's what paid her way through school.
Speaker 1:Oh, she was on a scholarship for French scholarship in the band.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's wonderful, yep, she was, which is really kind of interesting.
Speaker 1:This still doesn't really have anything to do with athletics, but you know, you kind of have that. I feel like it's unusual. Maybe it isn't, maybe you could speak to this like to have that sort of artistic side but also that engineering side. Like I feel like that's unusual, is it? Music is very math music is very mathematical yes yeah, that's true, so there is a lot of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you'll see a lot more of it. There was one semester where I could have had a whole band in my freshman class that's really cool. I said let's all just bring in our instruments, just have a good time, yeah absolutely okay.
Speaker 1:Well, okay, that's good. We're excited to learn all about you. Tell us a little bit. So I know Cecilia from the Bellovics since, like I mentioned, we like to ride bikes and hike and run, and Cecilia's an amazing open water swimmer, which I'll let her speak to in just a moment. Anyway, we like to be active. So that's how I met Cecilia, so I'd love for you to share, like, how did you even get into endurance sports? Like, how old were you, or was this something you came to later in life? Would you have a? You know, how did this happen?
Speaker 2:well, I was start. I was a. My brother was in track, my oldest brother. I come from a family there's well, there's six of us, okay, sibling, and I saw five siblings and I'm the fifth of the six, gotcha, it's my oldest brother, we're in track, and so he would take me to these when we lived in Florida, these little summer track meets, okay, and I would win. I mean, I did a lot of swimming, a lot of sprinting stuff, and so I just became the little person that they took around, yeah.
Speaker 2:And then we moved to California and and I tried to join a track team out there and that didn't go well because I gained some weight and I was a little chubby kid and it was actually the Blue Angels who Mary Decker was running for at the time and they just didn't care about me, the little chubby kid. So it was a good experience. But then I came back to when we moved. Then we moved around a lot, moved to Ohio, then I ended up running track. We had a. I was in our church. The Catholic churches in the area had CYO track, the Catholic Youth Organization, and I got real involved.
Speaker 1:So that's how it all started.
Speaker 2:I started running and I started doing very well and I was actually very, very good at track and I was looking at getting a track scholarship when I went to college but ended up not doing that.
Speaker 2:So how I got into the endurance? Well, I started doing once I got out of college. I did go start to run college and I just didn't feel comfortable doing it, so I quit. And then when I got out I got somehow involved with some friends who had bikes. So I picked up a bike. I said, oh, I could do a bike, I could ride. And then they said, then I did some triathlons. So I really enjoyed them.
Speaker 2:And then they said there was like, well, you know, let's go do a century. Well, that's a seem like crazy to me to do a hundred miles. So so I went with. I had these two guys. That was my first century, I still remember it. It was in Wisconsin and I was going with these two. Two men in that were at the same workplace as I at Central and and they one got sick and so the other decided not to go when I went. Oh my God.
Speaker 2:I went out by myself and I did the same job I just remember being impressed by this woman that there was this big hill about a mile 80. And so I remember climbing and so I'm in. I'm from, I've been riding in northern Illinois, which is flat.
Speaker 1:We're up in Wisconsin and then you get near the Dells and you get where the glacier area.
Speaker 2:So it gets a little hilly and we're climbing this hill and this woman passes me. She must have been in her 60 or something at the time and I hear I was in my 20s and she goes and she just passes me like nothing. And then I just looked at it I said wow, that's really good. How often do you ride this? Oh, every day. So I wonder I'm going to do yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:So, real quick.
Speaker 2:I want to say some reason. I can't hear you.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, I'll keep talking, See if you can find me again. So I was going to just say, when Cecilia mentioned a century, that is, 100 miles on her bike, that we just call that a century and bike riding. And then when she mentioned triathlons and I'm again, I'm sure a lot of people know this, but just for those that don't that is an event that is a swim, a bike and a run, and it can be different distances based on all sorts of things, but it's those three events together are a triathlon. And then when she said century, she meant riding her bike 100 miles.
Speaker 1:So she was supposed to go with two other people and they both know showed on her and so she went and wrote 100 miles by herself, right?
Speaker 2:So, but it was fun. Yeah, yeah, and I think it's how it started with that triathlons, and then I came when we moved down to Chattanooga To Chattanooga, then I went and I did my first. I've only done two half Ironman links, okay, and that's. I really enjoy the Olympic, and so I did the half Right, and that was nice. Yeah, yeah, and I've done one Marathon, okay.
Speaker 1:Gotcha. So you and I have that in common. I have done one. I went check. Thank you very much. Yeah, on with my life.
Speaker 2:But I like and I like being on. I did trails and I like being out on trails and I could be out there a long time. But what really caught my interest was the swimming.
Speaker 1:Yes, so, and that was my worst yeah that was my worst event.
Speaker 2:So, and when I did triathlons, my best event was a running, Okay, and then the, then the cycling and then the swimming. I just was not a swimmer. I joined a master swim team in when I lived in the Chicago area, just so I could get some experience. But I it, it wasn't my my best event. So then I joined a master's group here in Chattanooga and McCauley, yeah so so that helped me.
Speaker 2:And then they had a team, they, they were the rats and they have a they had an event called the rat race, okay, and it would happen the first weekend in June and it would go be in the Tennessee river. Well, that's disgusting to me, yes, but the so the? I did it the first time, I did it, I did it and I got done and I was sick to my stomach. I bet.
Speaker 1:I got done and I was oh my gosh, it was so far, yeah. And then there are boats going by.
Speaker 2:So then you smell the exhaust. Oh sure. And so and that made me so sick, yeah. But then I said I've got to do it again. Yeah, because it was so bad. I felt so bad. I can't let that be my final experience of open water swimming. Right, so I did it again and then I started to love it.
Speaker 1:Yes and now you swim with a group right Like I don't know how long you've been swimming with.
Speaker 1:So, cecilia, it's just funny. When you said the rats, I had to laugh, because now Cecilia swims with an open water group here in Chattanooga called the cows. It's Chattanooga open water swimming. It just see it all. Anyway, it stands for something, but what is that? An anagram or whatever? You know what I mean. But I saw, I think that's funny. So you went from the rats to the cows, so you just kept going. So you tried the open water swimming. You got sick, but that made you determined to do it at least one more time. So that wasn't like kind of your one and only and have a bad experience, kind of thing. Right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then I found out how much I loved it and what I realized is that because that was my least my abilities weren't as strong in that as it was recycling and and running that I could improve. Yes, I could keep improving and I felt good to get better. Yes.
Speaker 1:No, that's a good point, you know, if you don't have the experience and you can improve, then you know that's a good feeling. Right To be more, to feel like your work is you're putting in this work and it's actually something's happening. Positive, right, you know? And that definitely happens a lot with swimming, because swimming is such a technique based sport versus I feel I mean obviously there's technique in running and cycling as well, but I feel like swimming more so than any of them, and so if you can even make small improvements in your technique, you can make huge improvements in your abilities, if that makes sense, right.
Speaker 2:Sure, you know what I mean yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So then you started getting into like open water events and you've done I mean just in the few years that I've known you, you've done several. So I mean like what year, what year was? Do you remember what year it was that you did that first swim in Tennessee River, the first open water swim?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't remember.
Speaker 1:OK, yeah, I'm trying to think it's been.
Speaker 2:Yeah, probably Well. Yeah, I don't know, it's been a while.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like 10, 15 years, something like that. You think, ok, ok. So this is my other question for you, because I think this is very interesting about you, cecilia, and other women that might be listening to this, who have kids. Because you were a woman who was two parents working, right, and you have a daughter you're raising, because she's just now in her 20s, right, I mean. So she's, you know, she's was a kid at the time, right, and so for a lot of women it just doesn't even enter the picture. You know they're very focused on, on their kids, and so I just find that super interesting and it's not.
Speaker 1:I mean, janelle is amazing and awesome, so I mean you obviously raised her well, but I feel like there's a certain like mindset or there's something that drew you to it. That was time for you, right, Like it was a way for you to work on you. And unfortunately, I don't feel like a lot of women do that when they're raising kids and they don't see where they can quote, find the time to do that without feeling, I guess, like mom guilt. I'm sure you've heard that term, you know mom guilt. So I mean I don't know, do you have any thoughts about that or did that ever enter your mind? Did you feel guilty, or I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, actually the year to after I had her, that was the when I was ranked in the. Oh, okay in doing my triathlon. So that was kind of interesting, but I found it big Well one. I had become very efficient.
Speaker 1:Yeah, training extremely efficient.
Speaker 2:But it was my husband, I mean, we were good partners with this. It was a good team. So, yeah, I'm a morning person, he's a night person. That worked out perfectly fine. So I would get up and I would go and do my, do my running or whatever I need to do in the morning, and then he would, you know, he would be there, get her off the school and all the things, yeah Well. Or even when she was an infant, do the stuff, yeah. And then I would come home and then take care of that. But I was actually in grad school my PhD when I had her, so that was actually.
Speaker 2:it was very convenient, oh good. Good, good and easy, because I was done with all my courses and so I was just working on my research.
Speaker 1:Right, got you it was easy, but I think that's important. You mentioned being efficient, like and being a partner, you know, with your spouse, right, and just figuring out a schedule and figuring out what works and allowing yourself that time and freedom to be able to do something that makes you happy, right. And then, because then I feel you know women say I mean, I'm not a mom so I can't speak to this, but women that I've talked to about this say that like doing that kind of stuff it makes them a better parent and it makes them a better spouse. You know, and I don't know if that's just because it just it fills your cup, right, I mean not that being a mother doesn't fill your cup, but I mean it fills you. It's just something that you have right, like it's your thing. So I think that's really cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's my. And then Janelle ended up doing when she when she would do stuff, but I swim. One reason because she swim, Gotcha.
Speaker 2:It was very important to me that she learned how to swim. Yes, when she was an infant, so she was in the water before she was one. Gotcha, she know how to swim. And so then she loved it, and so she ended up being on a swim team, and so then I was at the swim team and so, and then I'm going well, what am I going to do? Just watch them swim, yeah, so then I got involved in swimming, and but when she would go, or, or if she was there, then I would go out for my run, because you're not going to just sit there in the stands the whole time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you do become efficient with that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but then she was also involved. I only had one child, but she was also involved with we would go out and do things together. As she got older, I would introduce her to biking. I was coaching her in biking, and when she got she wanted to tryathlons. So I was coaching her in triathlons. Yeah, yeah, so we kind of teamed up so it became like a family thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, for sure, and I know you ride with you know I know your husband doesn't do as much as you and your daughter, but you guys have a tandem bicycle and so I know you've done, which is just a bike built for two, exactly what it sounds like. It's got two seats and all the things, and so you and your husband will go and do events, cycling events, not races, just events, right, you know, on the tandem. So it's something that you guys do together which I think is really cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, we actually have a triple too.
Speaker 1:So the three of us, we used to go out.
Speaker 2:We used to pull her on a tandem. My husband, I got the tandem and then, when she was born, we pulled her in a buggy and then we pulled her in a tag along and then we bought the triple and put Janelle on the back of the triple. And we still have the triple, because I bought it from money when my mother died, so that was the money, that that's what I invested in, and so I decided to sell it. Yet, yeah, yes, I understand, but it's yeah, we have we've just that's our time, it's a family time, it's to go out and ride and share that riding together.
Speaker 2:And he'll ride. Then he'll ride 60, 70 miles with me on the tandem.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:But he won't, he won't ride it just on a single. Right, right he doesn't find that to be fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, that's good, because some couples, as you know, I mean a lot of couples that tandem is called a divorce maker sometime Well there's some days, there's some of times that we have a rough time.
Speaker 2:We had a rough time once this summer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah you just have to like move on, like remember we're a team, remember we're a team. Okay, so Cecilia, we haven't really said yet and but Cecilia is over 60. I don't know if you can do that math while she was telling you some of the years, like how long you've been at UT, Chattanooga, and that kind of thing. But that is also very impressive to me because I mean I know there are women out there right that are over 50, over 60, over 70, over 80. I mean you just have to go to like a running race or a triathlon rate. You know event and you see them. But I do feel like A there are a little few and far between and B, sometimes they can be looked at as a little like that woman's crazy, although sometimes I think that's envy, you know, personally because they think like, wow, I wish I would have taken care of myself, like that.
Speaker 1:So you know, do you, how do you think about your age? If you'd even do it all, I mean, there's nothing you can do about it. So you may not even think about it, but how do you think about that? As far as your training, has it changed? You know your training or the types of events you enjoy or the way you train. And then also, if you want to speak to I know you had, you know, like an accident, or you like your brain bleed a couple of years ago and talk a little bit about how you know being fit and active you mentioned to me really benefited you there. I know that's a lot of questions, but just go ahead.
Speaker 2:Well, I always think of, I don't think of myself much over 30. So so that's what's really hard for me is I don't see. And since I saw my daughter sees me, she'll see someone else's mom and says, mom, you don't, you're not as old as they are, right, and they might be younger than I am. So, and that's always good to know that my daughter sees me that way also, as being a younger.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:But how is it I hang around with a lot of people who are younger than I am? Yes, that is true.
Speaker 1:That's a good thing, I mean I think like, if I'm thinking of like the Vixens and I know you've got other, obviously, friends that you're active with, but you know, I think of Hell Me. She's in her 70s, which she's a whole nother. Yeah, well, she's 68. Yes, sorry, yes, I did not mean to age her. You're right, she's in her 60s.
Speaker 1:Yes, she is, and you know we've got a couple of people, but it's predominantly like a younger younger than you crowd. So yeah, I mean I think that helps. Obviously, being active, hanging out with younger people you know it is a mindset but also taking care of yourself physically and I know you're always trying new things, like you recently started taking these kind of circuit training, strength training classes at the schools to. You know, work on your strengths, like which is something, as you know, I talk about a lot and it's hard to do right when you're really into endurance sports. It can be very challenging for people in the endurance community. I mean, that's kind of a well-known thing that people in the endurance community have no interest in lifting weights, not necessarily because they don't know that it's been official, but it's just like finding the time.
Speaker 1:Right, it takes time to do it, yeah, and then it's also being indoors and a lot of people in the endurance community like don't want to. You know, the whole reason they enjoy doing what they do is because they're able to get outside and do it, and I totally appreciate that yeah.
Speaker 2:It's kind of fun. Most of that. I just came before this session came from a session at the university at our arc, and they it's mostly females that do them, which is always. You know, that's the way it is. These classes are almost always females and then they and I'm generally the oldest one, mostly with students, and but they, when the and the people, the coaches, are students or recent graduates and they just look at me and they just go. We don't have to worry about you, yeah yes, you know how to do things, you do them right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's good. So that's kind of feel good.
Speaker 2:So they just go. Today's was a little hard, for yeah it was, everybody was suffering a little bit, but it was so. So being with, just trying everything and keeping the body moving is just very important and strong.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's very important. I have to admit that my favorite thing to do when I was younger was running. It's not my favorite thing to do anymore, Because I do have. I have to admit that there are some aging things going on.
Speaker 1:It happens to the best of us.
Speaker 2:Yes arthritis especially I do have it in my the bottom of my lower back. So the pounding on the roads is hard. So I'd rather be on a trail. Yeah, and that's fine If I can go out and be on a trail. It's just not as convenient now. I can't just walk out my front door and be on a trail. Yeah, absolutely. But the bike I can ride the bike without any issues, except there's arthritis in the thumbs, gotcha.
Speaker 1:Gotcha.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I have to be aware of that.
Speaker 1:But as long as I keep moving, it's better. I would say that swimming is fine. Or do you have any issues with?
Speaker 2:that Swimming is generally fine, if I, if you use in the pool when you're practicing, sometimes you use paddles, yeah, yeah, so I have to be careful with the paddles. That's how I found out I had this issue, I overdone it with paddles. Yeah, I had these paddles where you put the thumbs. There's my hands. You put your thumbs in in the paddle and then it started to do too much pressure on it, gotcha, and that's that acted it up, gotcha, gotcha. So I've been working on trying to not have that issue.
Speaker 2:So, but I found some paddles that I could use that don't cause that issue, so you dapped.
Speaker 1:Yes, just like everything else, you have to adapt. Just like everything, I mean, that could happen to somebody that's in their twenties just as easily as it could.
Speaker 2:Oh, my daughter's already saying she goes. Oh, my thumbs are already hurting, yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh, you got it. Yeah, you're like, okay, let me help you with that. Okay, well, tell us real quick about the brain bleed incident. You don't have to go in. You know we've only got maybe seven ish minutes left on the podcast, so you don't have to go into like super detail. But I thought that would just be really interesting to share how you know being fit and staying healthy can help when you have like a major oh yeah, help ish incident. For lack of a better, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Go ahead, yeah, and I'm trying to think it was probably 2016.
Speaker 1:I was okay, it was before I met you. I know that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, 2016. And I won't go to probably the causes of it, right, but I was swimming at the time and I was in the pool. So one thing about being, if you're being fit and you're caring, knowing what you're doing, you know how your body feels, no matter when you're doing anything. So I knew something was up, yeah, so I was able to stop. I didn't drown, that's good. Nobody had to rescue me. I stopped swimming because I go. Something with my body is not right.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I got myself out of the pool and I just lay down. And we came to there were actually another doctor and master swimmer who's a doctor there? Okay, two of them that were there and they said so, is this the most, the most painful headache you've ever had? I said yes, it is. They said you have a brain bleed. They knew right away. Wow, so luckily so. Then we got to the hospital.
Speaker 2:Yeah, got to the hospital, I got a nice ambulance ride. Yeah, that was fun, yeah, so the best way to get to a hospital. And then it ended up happening as I ended up being in the ICU for almost a week and then another week in the hospital. But why? What was very helpful when you're fit? Well, one, my body was stopped the bleeding itself. Wow, yeah, so, so, the, the, the, it was the.
Speaker 2:When they was prepped me for surgery to stop the bleeding, they checked it one more time and they said, ah, it just, it stopped. Wow, it stopped. So and, um, you know, my body was in good shape. And then, when I was in ICU because it's very painful a brain fleet is very painful, even when it stops, because you have all this blood in your brain that has to leave it's pressure and it has to leave, it has to drain out. So it's, it just has to leave your body. The body has to absorb it. So for the whole week I was in ICU. So I'm in and out, but you have bed, you have to use a bed pan and stuff, and because I was in good shape, I could just lift my hips up Because you have those muscles are already there.
Speaker 1:They didn't have to help me. And then and they.
Speaker 2:when I they got me up for my first walk. I could walk around, so the body was, the muscles were there, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was an easier recovery and you were able to do more than probably most of their patients were able to do, so you release the nurses to be able to work with people who actually needed it. No, I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2:Sure, they would have been more than that. They were very impressed. They said we can't believe that you're recovering as quickly. And then, when the when it came to the week that I was in the hospital, you had to get to ensure that you could do stuff in your home on your own. Yes, yes, okay, before you could leave, well, they'd send you home. They send you home, yeah, and they were just going, we don't have to worry about you. So, just like your coaches, you got it all you got it.
Speaker 2:I mean, I know there was someone else I knew had a brain bleed at the same time and may and that one. I'm not saying that person wasn't in as good a shape, but that brain bleed. Her experience was must work. She's in mind. Yeah. Yeah, she ended up in the. She was an ICU as well, but then she ended up at Siskind at the rehab hospital. Yeah, so and then was there for a long time and had to learn how to walk et cetera Again sure. So, but I and she had to have the surgery because it didn't stop.
Speaker 1:It didn't stop bleeding.
Speaker 2:But they were very impressed because they said well, they were very impressed that it just stopped on its own.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Okay, Well, in the last couple of minutes. So everybody out there, take care of yourself. Anyway, tell us what you have on the horizon for 2024. Do you have any fun events that you're looking forward to? I'm sure you do. Well, I haven't paid for it yet.
Speaker 2:Not about to, but meaning I couldn't. I'm going to pay for it in a number of ways, but financially I still have to pay for it yes, yes, yes. There's an event called SCAR, which is a four swims in Arizona, so four lake swims in a row, four days in a row.
Speaker 2:that range from nine miles to 17 miles, so the 17 mile one which isn't they're not quite that distance there, because they're measurements of where, how they're measuring it. We can cut the course a little bit, but the longest one is on the third day, gotcha, and the shortest one is just only a 10K, so I guess it ranges from six miles. So this is a 10K, okay, okay, but it's at night. Oh, the last one is at night and so yeah, so that's the end of April, okay.
Speaker 1:Okay, very exciting. Well, I'm sure that I will be lucky me up to date on all of your happenings. Cecilia is not on Instagram, she's not on the social, so you guys don't get to follow her.
Speaker 1:I'm so sorry but, I will try to remember to bring you guys regular updates of Cecilia and her swimming. So just so people understand, because you know not a lot of people do open water swimming. So when you say, and you know we just have a couple minutes left, but like when you say nine miles, swim, approximately how long is it? Will that take you to swim? Like how long are you going to be swimming in the water?
Speaker 2:Approximately. That's with the current, so they're going to be five hours for nine, right? Yeah, I just wanted for people to understand.
Speaker 1:So could you say nine miles on the walk or a bike ride, it's? I mean, yes, it's a decent amount, but it's not that impressive. But you have to appreciate, dear listener, that when you're in, when you're swimming, you know, multiply those times out when you're swimming, because it just it's a lot slower. I mean, it just is swimming just slower than you know riding a bike or running or that sort of thing. So we're talking like five hours plus swims.
Speaker 2:Right. And then you have to have feet, so you have to have a pilot with you.
Speaker 1:So I, my players, players coming to be my player, so our friend Blair will either have it be in her when she says pilot, be in her kayak or her suck.
Speaker 2:Probably kayak.
Speaker 1:Okay, and she'll ride along Cecilia alongside her to provide her with fuel and any you know along the way. So, anyway, so this is super cool. It's called open water swimming. Guys, if you guys want to do any Google searches, I'll see if I can find the website about SCAR. And I can link that in the show notes, so people just see what it's about.
Speaker 2:Okay, cool, and then, if you'll have a chance, what I have, I'm hoping this is tying back to the very beginning. Yeah, so I'll. I will be swimming to raise money for signal centers and to help people with disabilities to be more independent. So that's, that's my goal.
Speaker 1:Okay, great, I love it. Well, cecilia, with one minute left, thank you so much for being on the podcast. You're awesome. I have enjoyed so much getting to know you and I've enjoyed learning more about you here today, and I hope that our audience has too, and hopefully it's motivated them to just keep moving, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, keep moving, yeah, just keep going.
Speaker 1:All right, thanks, cecilia have a great day.
Speaker 2:All right, you too, bye, bye.