How lucky are we to have so many wonderful women in Our Village that we get to celebrate! Each month we take a moment to honor one of our local FIT4MOM Southeast Fairfield County Moms for her efforts to lead a healthy lifestyle and for her dedication to FIT4MOM. September's Motivating Mom of the month has been a stand out in our Run Club this season, making her debut with her double stroller! Her dedication to running and training this season with both her boys is truly remarkable! This strong mama sets a great example for her kids and has truly embraced her FIT4MOM village. This month we honor....Megan Gaudio.

Here is what our Instructors have to say about Megan:

"How exciting to be honoring this mama-with-a-heart-of-gold!! Megan has been a dedicated member of Our Village since becoming a new mom of her sweet Luke, continued classes through her second pregnancy, and has shown us all how beautifully she balances life, work and motherhood now as a mom of two!! In addition to our stroller classes, Megan has been a long-time member of our Run Club, crossing the finish line with pride, and she and her family are regulars at our family classes throughout the year. Megan is so friendly and welcoming. She works hard both in class and in being a great example for our full-time working mamas on how to do what matters most while keeping her family her top priority. Megan, we love having you as part of Our Village and thank you for being such a shining star! Congratulations and Love!!" – Instructor Sarah

“It is an honor to recognize Megan as our motivating mom this month, particularly because we have the privilege of watching her in action as she powers through her third round of run club; this season, running with a double dose of boys! The day I met Megan and Luke at the park they were enjoying the swings on one of their final days before her maternity leave ended. Megan expressed her desire to run and it was that spring 2017 that she started her FIT4MOM Run Club journey, and WOW how far she has traveled - for miles of motherhood as a mom of one - and now two - beautiful sons! Megan is dedicated to each of her roles as a loving mother, talented teacher, and persistent runner. She is gentle and kind as she effortlessly supports and encourages those around her, all while balancing her own responsibilities and goals. Not only did she workout with Luke through all of her pregnancy, once Cole made his grand entrance Meg returned to develop a beautiful bond between her boys. While strengthening her body at FIT4MOM, she savored the time she had with them. Now that she’s back in the swing of things at school, you can find her with smiles for miles at run club, and I am honored to be her coach and watch her great strides. Megan, you are such a beautiful, positive role model for your boys and such a special part of Our Village - it is an honor to celebrate you and call you friend. 💜Congratulations!” – Instructor Lisa

“ I am so thrilled to take the time to honor Meg this month. She is an incredibly kind and caring person who brings so much love to our village. Her presence in classes is always a joy. She’s the mom who will overhear a mom needing a wipe in a panic and she already has one in her hand to help. She is the first to help others as she works her tail off every day. When I watch the journey she has been on with Luke and now Cole I am in complete awe of her resilience and strength. A working mom who embraces the complete chaos of motherhood. Congrats Meg!” – Instructor Colleen

“I am so excited that we are honoring Meg Gaudio as this month’s Motivating Mom! Meg has been a constant in Our Village for years now. She is fresh off her first summer back with us as a mom of TWO! It has been so wonderful watching her evolve into this new role. Meg is a hardworking teacher whom we’ve been lucky to maintain as one of our weekend warriors at Saturday classes and Run Club. I’ve had the pleasure of running alongside Meg in Run Club for a few seasons now. Her commitment and drive are so inspiring to all of us around her. I am so excited to watch her cross that finish line this season with BOTH of her boys.

Meg, you so deserve this honor for all of your hard work and commitment to your boys, yourself, and to Our Village. We love you, we value you, and we are so grateful to have you with us”. – Instructor Kait

We asked Megan a few questions to get to know her better and this what she shared:

1.Who are the members of your family?

Myself, My husband, Mike, Luke 3, Cole 6 months and our very energetic dog Jaycee.

2. What is/was your career?

I am a first grade teacher in Bridgeport. It’s definitely hard leaving the boys every day to go to work, but I really love what I do. Of course it’s also amazing that I get the summers off to spend with them!

3. List 3 of your favorite things:

Food (I love trying new things), organization, and watching Luke and Cole play together. Cole thinks Luke is hysterical and I just love watching them interact.

4. What would your partner say is your best quality?

He says that I’m kind and I put others ahead of myself.

5. How long have you been a member of FIT4MOM Southeast Fairfield County, and what has it done for you?

I’ve been with Fit4Mom for about 2 and a half years. Fit4Mom has really helped me to connect with other moms who are going through the same experiences as I am. It’s amazing to feel such support from so many women, even though I’m not a “regular” at class. Since joining Fit4Mom I can honestly say I’ve become more confident in my parenting and it has helped me realize that no matter what I’m dealing with, I’m not alone.

6.What is your favorite class exercise?

Anything that makes me sore the next day! I love strength training exercises, especially because I’m not good at doing them on my own, so doing them with a group really pushes me.

7. What is something that has surprised you about motherhood?

How difficult it is to connect with other moms. When I joined Fit4Mom Luke was 6 months and I had been stuck inside by myself on maternity leave. I had a few friends with kids but didn’t really get much time to get together with them. I found joining the group hard at first, especially because I wasn’t a regular (because of going back to work) and I felt like I was entering a group of women who had known each other forever. On top of that, I’m very shy when I first meet people and was worried that would really get in the way. I found that this village was the most amazing thing for me. Not only did everyone welcome me with open arms, but I always felt comfortable because of the amazing instructors who always greeted me with a warm smile; whether I had been there the previous week or hadn’t been to class in months.

8. What is your proudest mommy moment so far?

Reaching my goal of running with both my boys this season in run club. I have been really hard on myself in the past and hadn’t found the motivation before. This time around I’ve been able to push myself so much harder, and I especially love seeing Luke want to “run with mommy” during our weekly training. It really is amazing how much they watch and take in, and I love that I can set this example for him.

9.Any advice for other moms out there?

Don’t be afraid to try something new. I was always unsure of trying new things, but once I had Luke I got out there and did things I probably never would have before, and I found this amazing village because of it.

Megan we are so proud of you and cannot wait for you to cross that finish line with your crew next week!! Thank you for choosing us as your village and where you find your strength in motherhood! xo