Tracy placed 1st in Age Group

Niantic Bay Triathlon 8/9/26

“I really can’t find the words to express the level of excellence Natalie brings to coaching.  For sure, she motivates me to push past my limits – actually, well past what I think is possible. Over Zoom! In the four years I’ve trained with her, we’ve maybe worked out twice in person. (I’m in PA.)  

 Natalie always makes me feel like an athlete. For anyone who desires to feel like, and hopefully be, an athlete, that’s so important. Her confidence in me makes me feel confident. I’m in my early 60s and she has never spared the rod! And the workouts she makes up are crazy – crazy hard and crazy fun. The hour evaporates!

 I am sure there are good trainers out there who figured out how to adapt perfectly to Zoom. The HUGE difference is Natalie’s physical therapy experience. She “prehabs” things that creak and if I get injured, she fixes the problem. Natalie has SO many tools she brings to training. She knows the human body -- intuitively and through experience. Not only did I exceed my fitness goals, my balance improved, I almost never get injured, and I am stronger than most women my age.

 I can’t recommend Natalie enough. You will work hard, without the fear of injury, you will be pushed but with compassion. I promise you will not regret hiring Natalie. She has been a true partner in my fitness journey.”

Marilyn Mitchell

This is a story about escaping rotator cuff surgery because of exercising with Natalie.

I started participating in exercise classes with Natalie after I retired in September 2021 shortly after my 69th birthday. Later that year, I also started to take riding lessons again after 35 years of not riding.

Shortly after starting to ride again, while reaching for a saddle, my right shoulder felt a “snap” and became painful. I thought little of it until the pain persisted and it was clear that my shoulder didn’t work quite right. I continued to go to my weekly class with Natalie and as usual, she personalized every exercise for each of us in the small class.

After several months I finally made an orthopedic appointment. I was diagnosed with a rotator cuff injury with 2 torn muscles. Surgery was scheduled for several months in the future.

I continued my exercise classes and Natalie was not surprised to hear of my diagnosis. I assume she had diagnosed the problem long before I went to the orthopedist. Her extensive experience as a Physical Therapist dictates the design of all those personalized exercises.

A few weeks before my scheduled surgery I realized my shoulder pain had subsided and I could use my arm normally. At my recheck orthopedic exam the doctor found normal range of motion and canceled my surgery. Clearly, Natalie’s exercise program, designed specifically for my physical condition, had gently rehabilitated the injured area.

I have been taking a weekly exercise class with Natalie for about 4 years now. I am becoming stronger, improving my balance, and haven’t needed surgery for that shoulder injury.

I have had other medical and orthopedic adventures since the initial rotator cuff injury and Natalie has been there to help me recover each time.

“I started training with Natalie a year after a total hip replacement. Running long distance was no longer an option. Nonetheless, I wanted to be an Ironman. It was Natalie’s constant support, strength training, and work as a PTA that assisted me across many finish lines. Working as a PTA allowed Natalie to tailor triathlon training programs ranging from a sprint to a full Ironman designed to sustain and strengthen my hip replacement.  It is through Natalie’s constant support, training, and PTA knowledge that got me to Nationals and becoming a 2X Lake Placid Ironman. I am forever grateful for Strength from Within, CT.”

Christy Socha

Tracy’s 1st Triathlon

2nd Age Group Whaling City Tri 7/14/26

I had known Natalie for quite a while before she became my coach, and I had always valued her extraordinary depth of knowledge about athletics, the human body, and training. I had worked with her periodically, and when she began offering coaching, I knew that if I was ever going to entrust my training to someone else, it would be Natalie.

That was a much bigger step for me than it may sound. I had been running for many years, primarily marathons, and I was accustomed to designing my own program and doing what I believed was best. Giving up that autonomy and placing my training in someone else’s hands required an enormous amount of trust.

But the way I had been training was no longer sustainable. I was always injured. Eventually, the injuries became too numerous and took too long to heal. I reached a breaking point where I genuinely believed I might not be able to run anymore—certainly not marathons. That possibility was devastating to me.

I sought help from many different professionals and often pursued second opinions, but I regularly received conflicting advice, even from people within the same field. Much of what I heard suggested that continuing to run was unsustainable and would ultimately create more problems.

Natalie’s message remained consistent throughout: with the right training schedule, appropriate physical therapy, and targeted strengthening, she believed I could continue to run. I trusted her knowledge, but honestly, I did not believe her at first.

My posterior tibial tendon dysfunction was a particular concern. I had been told that my foot could no longer support running without orthotics or an ankle brace. Natalie believed that strengthening my feet—including the smaller muscles that are often overlooked—could make a meaningful difference.

This was not a miracle, and Natalie never presented it as one. I drastically reduced my mileage, followed the schedule she designed, did the physical therapy and strengthening exercises, and put in a great deal of time and effort. I also had to be patient. My foot continued to hurt for a long time, but I stayed with the process.

Then one day, I inadvertently went for a run in shoes that did not have my orthotics in them. At some point, I realized that my foot felt fine—and that all the discomfort I had lived with for so long had quietly disappeared. I had not set out to test whether I could run without orthotics; I simply discovered that I no longer needed them. Natalie had believed that was possible all along.

I also understand that my body may have limits. I could eventually cross a line where the amount or distance I run needs to be restricted. I recently completed a 17-mile training run while preparing to attempt another marathon, and we will see where that journey leads. But Natalie has helped me discover that being an athlete can mean so much more than running marathons.

I have found real joy in shorter distances, and I have recently taken up triathlon. Natalie’s guidance and support have been invaluable as I’ve expanded into a new sport. I now have other athletic activities that I enjoy just as much as running. If I ultimately determine that the marathon distance is too much for my foot, that is something I will be able to accept.

I can see the changes in my body. I see a stronger, more capable body—one that can do far more than simply run or complete a marathon. That has been more rewarding than I ever could have imagined.

At 60, I feel stronger and more like an athlete than I have at any other time in my life. That is largely because of Natalie’s knowledge, guidance, and unwavering belief in what was possible for me.