Motivational Mom of the Month - Megan Swatling

Happy April, Mamas! Spring weather is here (for now...at least hopefully...) and we're so excited for all the Spring happenings! One thing we are most excited for is our newest Stroller Strides instructor, Megan Swatling! Please join us in getting to know her a little bit better!

How did you find FIT4MOM Richmond and how long have you been a part of our village?

My husband, who is wonderful at researching, found this community a few weeks after I gave birth to our first child, Duke, because he knew I couldn’t just sit in the house all day and needed/wanted that adult socializing and mom community! I started a few months after that, January 2019! So with a break to go back to work and having our second child - I’ve been apart of this community for about 3 years now!

What do you love most about being part of this community?

The moms! The vibe! It is SO supportive, relatable, fun, motivating, and loving!! I can confidently say I think every mom wants to be apart of a community like this - and then to have fun workouts (baby friendly and just for mom) as well - WOW - jackpot!

Who are you a mom to?

Duke - who is 3 1/2

Stella - who is 9 months

What is your favorite thing about being a mom?

The unconditional love and the pure bliss I can to experience through my kids eyes!

Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or one hundred duck-sized horses?

Haha. One horse-sized duck. You just need one (or a few) really good hits to take it out! But 100 duck-sized horses would be coming at you constantly from all angles!!

How do you stay fit when you're not working out with FIT4MOM?

I run a few days a week, take almost daily walks with my family, and do some at home HIIT / strength / stretching workouts.

How do you practice self-care?

When the kids are in bed at night - I take baths, do skin care, watch shows, do crafts with sometimes a little night cap and a candle lit!

Where did you grow up and how did you end up in Richmond?

I grew up in Elmira, NY (upstate) and then I lived in Buffalo, NY for 5 years receiving my undergraduate and graduate degrees in birth - 6th grade elementary Education and 1-6th grade special education.

My husband and I took a drive down the East coast all the way to Savannah, GA and toured / interviewed at schools and looked at apartment complexes and got offered teaching jobs in NOVA (Manassas) and said let’s go!

We taught in NOVA for 2 years - got pregnant with our first child right after the start of our second year teaching and decided we wanted to move to Richmond to settle and buy a house! We love Richmond and all it has to offer, but especially the convenience of it all and overall calm vibe (compared to DC).

How did becoming a mother change you?

I am even more OCD, planned out, and organized than I was before and I thought I was pretty orderly before

Haha - no but it mainly has made me appreciate all the little things in life that much more. It has made me slow down and truly pay attention and enjoy the moments I’m in and not always the moments coming up or something I’m planning for.

What is the last great book or television series you've read/watched?

Game of Thrones!! We were late to the phenomenon and we blew through it and while it was complex and intense it was very good!

How did you meet your husband?

High school :) we are high school sweethearts! Met doing the musicals in our high school - started flirting my freshman year his sophomore in the production of Damn Yankees and then by my junior year his senior in Beauty and the Beast (I was Mrs. Potts he was Cogsworth) we truly hit it off and here we are 6 years later and 2 kids! Our song at our wedding was Beauty and the Beast.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A mom always was my answer since I was 5 years old!

If your five-year-old self suddenly found themselves inhabiting your current body, what would she do first?

Gymnastics!! I’d hop on the beam or bars with no fear (like I once had) and be free!

I always love reading the answers to "how did you end up in Richmond?" because people always have the most unique and adventurous stories! Megan, I love that you and your husband just drove down the East Coast and committed to it! I also love that you are high school sweethearts :)

We are so glad your husband found Our Village for you, Megan! And we can't wait for you to share your love and passion with all of our Moms!

- (the other) megan