Norma Bastidas is a single-mother, a survivor of sexual violence and human trafficking. An ultra athlete, she broke the Guinness World Record for Longest Triathlon after swimming, biking, and running 3,762 miles from Cancun, Mexico to Washington, D.C., a known human trafficking route. She views athletic feats as metaphors for the incredible trials faced every day by the survivors of sexual violence. Norma's mission is to educate and empower, demonstrating to the world that one's past does not dictate one's future, and prove that everyday people are capable of making extraordinary strides in the fight against the problems facing the world today.
Norma talks about her son, who lost his vision very quickly due to a degenerative disease, facing her past, and advocating for self and others through running. We also dig into mental health and why it is so important that we normalize the conversation around mental illness diagnosis, end the stigma and unfortunate labels.
The woman is strength, grit and determination. I love her reminder that no matter how tough things get.. it will be ok and that you are not your circumstances. Your identity is not what happened to you.
You can join Norma and I live at EmpowerCon at the LA Convention Center on August 31st. Information is on IG @empowercon2019 and don't forget to follow Norma on IG @ultrarunwild.
As always, please subscribe to this podcast, leave a review and don’t forget to share with your friends. I’m always interested in content that uplifts, so if you have things you’d like to hear about, please share them with me in the comments. You can also find me on Instagram @ms.jeanetteschneider or Twitter @msjwrites.
If you want some help moving toward that intentional life, join me every week on my intention journey. I’m inviting you. Totally free. From my heart to your inbox. Sign up for my #girltribe at jeanetteschneider.com and before you even wake up on Monday mornings there will be a huge dose of motivation waiting for you. Yes, I will wake you up on Monday morning with intention setting prompts and give you some tips as to what is setting my soul on fire. On Fridays I’m going to remind you to let go, recharge, and love yourself up with some self care prompts to get present in your down time. Intentional living is where it’s at, y’all!
Until next time – in the words of my grandma, “Love each other every day.”
In your ears, filling your heart.
Xo,
J
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