by Nate Widom
Finding balance isn’t easy, especially when juggling a demanding career, young children, and the everyday pressures of family life. HAC member Cait Quinn understands that challenge well. Through small, sustainable changes and a renewed commitment to her own well-being, Cait rediscovered fitness in a way that complemented her life rather than competing with it, and took 2nd place in HAC’s annual Lifestyle Challenge in the process.
Cait was always well-versed in fitness. “I grew up playing sports. I was a big athlete. I played field hockey in college, and I was a runner in grad school,” she says.
Nowadays, she works full-time as a chemist at the University of Delaware. Between having a demanding job and being a new mom, she slowly drifted away from her athletic activities. “So much of my focus has been on my kids and, outside of that, my job,” she explains. “I put my fitness on the back burner.”
Nevertheless, Cait and her family are dedicated HAC members. Her children enthusiastically participate in our youth programs, but she found it hard to work out herself. “I’ve struggled with leaving my kids to come work out,” she says. “They’re in daycare all day. I feel like every minute I’m not working, I need to be there with them.”
Once she heard about the HAC Lifestyle Challenge, she realized it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. It was an excellent chance to carve out time for herself and get back into the fitness groove again.
For the challenge, Cait trained with personal trainer Mike Barlettano. They met twice a week, focusing on strength and cardio. When not in training, Cait would go for walks.
“It was great. Mike was awesome. He still is, obviously. We’re still working together.”
Both share similarities. “I’m 41. I have a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old. So, I’m definitely an older parent,” Cait explains. “He’s also an older parent of a young kid. So, he knew a lot of the specific challenges that I was dealing with. He set my goals to be manageable for where my life actually is.”
Given such a demanding schedule, finishing as the runner-up in the Lifestyle Challenge was quite an accomplishment. Cait’s husband is also a fitness lover with a full-time job. Together, they’d use a shared calendar and build a schedule, alternating who stays home with the kids and who works out.
Mike was also instrumental in helping Cait find little ways to make health fit into her daily life. She credits these small changes to helping her win.
“Getting out of the door in the mornings was crazy, and half the time I wouldn’t pack a lunch because I just didn’t have time to do it in the morning,” Cait says. “It seems so easy to say, ‘just pack your lunch the night before,’ but it was definitely something that made a big difference. And the same with getting my workout clothes ready.”
With Mike’s guidance, Cait learned she didn’t have to sacrifice family time for her fitness journey. On mornings when she wasn’t working out at HAC, she found little ways to fit movement into her and her kids’ lives. “Short exercises I can do on the floor with my kids just to get me moving in the morning. Baby push-ups! I hold my son, and we do squats…it’s fun!”
While on the fitness floor, Mike proposed an idea she wouldn’t typically entertain: early morning workouts! Initially challenging, she gradually adapted and now calls it the “way to go.” She’s amazed that she now finds herself hitting the treadmills at 5:45 AM and happy that she can savor her evenings after work.
“It was rewarding because, about 3-4 weeks into the challenge, I could tell the treadmill was getting easier, and I needed to start increasing the incline and speed. Four to six weeks in, I could start to feel my fitness increasing, and I could extend the goals that Mike had set for me originally.”
In the middle of the Lifestyle Challenge, Cait and her family went on vacation. It was already difficult to stay in the game, let alone navigate Disney World’s endless food, drink, and dessert options. “One of the most important things Mike was telling me was, ‘Don’t be too hard on yourself. You need to enjoy your life as well,’” she recalls. “It was so rewarding to see that I can make progress but still enjoy my life. Go get ice cream with my kids, go out to dinner with my family. That balance was really important.”
Cait says that it feels “awesome” to be a runner-up. She appreciated the kind words of encouragement from fellow HAC-goers who saw her working out.
“In general, my energy level is higher, which is definitely needed with my kids. I want to keep building on the little bit of running I’ve started and keep up the strength training, too.”
Cait’s victory underscores the impact of making small lifestyle adjustments and prioritizing yourself. “My daughter does swimming lessons here…my kids love the tumbling area, they love the pool. I was here all the time, but I was never here for me. And now I’m here even more, because I’m here for them and I’m here to make time for myself.”
