Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My relationship with my body has been a journey since I was a teenager. I struggled with body image, loving and accepting myself and showing myself true kindness and grace. I ultimately went through a season of healing and recovery, found my footing and finally started to feel better and feel GOOD.
Then, life happened! A wonderful marriage and 3 incredible pregnancies later, I found myself in a totally different place… not in the same unhealthy patterns of my past but this time, the pendulum swung in the opposite direction. I was so comfortable with myself that I allowed myself to be a different kind of unhealthy- I gained more weight than what felt right during my pregnancies and started to not feel like myself (again). I knew I couldn’t approach it the way I might have years ago… I had 3 little sets of eyes watching and looking up to me now. I wanted to model what it could actually look like to take care of yourself- not from a place of punishment or fear but from a place of genuine self-respect.
So in November 2021, I enlisted the help of a trainer who has since become one of my dearest friends. Her name is Jordan Gentry, and her business is Empowered Health and Fitness LLC. Jordan didn’t just help me change my body… she helped me change how I think about food, movement and what I’m TRULY capable of. With her guidance, I lost 40+ pounds… but I gained a whole new kind of strength I never realized was possible. I’m now in the best, healthiest shape I’ve ever been in- physically, mentally and emotionally. And I’m so proud to show that to my kids.
That journey brought me to something I never in a million years saw coming… Hyrox racing. For anyone unfamiliar, Hyrox is a global fitness race that combines running and strength training- think burpee broad jumps, sled pushes and pulls, wall balls, and the list goes on. It is NO joke! Jordan believed I could do it before I believed it myself and asked me to do it with her. We’ve done a couple doubles races together and in March 2026, I crossed the finish line of my first SOLO Hyrox race.
Crossing that finish line, I thought about the teenage girl who struggled so much with her own body. I wish she could have seen this coming. I’m so proud of that girl and how hard she fought to get to where she is NOW.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Honestly? Not even a little bit smooth!
The beginning was humbling in the best way. I showed up not really knowing what I was doing, completely out of shape and having to check my ego at the door every single time. Learning to track my macros, building consistency and figuring out what actually worked for my body took real time and real patience.
There were plenty of weeks where the scale didn’t move, where life with 3 kids made prioritizing myself feel impossible, and where I wondered if I was ever going to get to where I wanted to be. I kept going, though.
The mental side was probably the hardest part. I had to learn the difference between pushing myself and punishing myself… and that line isn’t always obvious, especially with my history.
Training for Hyrox brought a whole new set of challenges. There were workouts that broke me down physically and moments where I genuinely questioned whether I belonged in that space. But, I kept showing up anyway. Somewhere along the way, I started to realize that everything I had gone through and the whole journey I’d been on led me right to this. I was right where I was supposed to be. Jordan helped me a ton with that too, and I’ll always be so grateful for her as my trainer but even more as one of my best friends.
The road wasn’t smooth, but I think that’s actually what makes it worth talking about.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
People close to me knew about the health journey I’d been on. Some noticed changes before I ever said a word. Friends, family and acquaintances would sometimes ask what I was doing differently, and those conversations happened more and more as time went on. I was encouraged by some to share my story, but turning it into something public and actually putting myself out there on social media for anyone to see was a different thing entirely.
I held off for a long time because vulnerability in a public forum is so scary! My journey touches on some deeply personal chapters of my life, and the idea of sharing that with strangers took real courage to sit with.
Earlier this year right before I completed my first solo Hyrox, I finally stopped waiting until I felt ready and just took a leap of faith. I launched my Instagram platform, @itsheatheronpurpose. I share what healthy, balanced living actually looks like as a busy mom of 3… the real version, not the curated one. I share real food, real struggles, real progress and a lot of honest moments in between.
I’m a new creator, and I own that completely. What I’ve found, though, is that people are hungry for content that doesn’t make them feel worse about themselves. They want to see someone figuring it out in real life, not someone performing a perfect version of it.
What I specialize in is just being myself and being honest- about the journey, about the hard days, about what’s actually working and what isn’t. I think that’s what sets me apart. I’m not trying to be an expert. I’m trying to be real, and so far, that seems to be exactly what people need and want to hear.
What I’m most proud of is simply that I started. After years of playing it small and keeping this all to myself, I decided my story was worth sharing. I felt like so many people- women and moms especially- would be able to relate to it.
I’m just getting started… and that’s the part that excites me most!
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
MyFitnessPal is probably the most practical tool in my daily life right now. Tracking my macros consistently has been one of the biggest game changers on this journey, and that app makes it simple enough to actually stick with.
Beyond that, I’m a big believer in the power of having the right people around you over any book or podcast. Jordan has been my greatest resource. She’s taught me more about nutrition, movement and mindset than anything I could have found on my own.
I also find myself drawn to creators and voices online who keep it real. I don’t follow perfectly curated wellness accounts. I follow people who talk about the hard stuff honestly because that’s what actually keeps me motivated and feeling less alone in the process.
Lastly and most importantly, being a wife and mom keeps me grounded and motivated to do my best. My family is my why. Plus, it causes me to be pretty resourceful by necessity. When you don’t have a lot of time, you get really good at finding what works and cutting out what doesn’t!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/itsheatheronpurpose
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsheatheronpurpose/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsheatheronpurpose
