#GORGOgirl: Kim Thomas

We love featuring our everyday GORGOgirls that are inspiring us to crush life and a balanced approach to fitness.
Meet Kim Thomas.

Tell us about yourself!

Currently, I am the owner of K. Thomas Enterprise, LLC. Prior to that, I was an Assistant to the President and CEO of a Fortune 500 Company for 29 years. I have 3 boys: Tyler (25), Jacob (21) and Aaron (21) and reside in Michigan.

Tell us about your fitness life.

I’ve literally tried it all when it comes to fitness from Zumba to running and every other cardio craze.  My latest attempt was at power lifting. I quickly figured out that wasn’t my niche either. So, I’ve decided to stick to what I love which is spinning and weight training.

Do you have any specific goals you’re working on?

At this point, my goal is to be the best version of myself that I can for my health. If I decide to compete again in May, my goals will change to prep for a short term achievement.

Any struggles?

Self-esteem has been a major struggle for quite a few years.

Fav Quote that inspires you right now in your life? Why?

My favorite quote right now has to be, “Progress over perfection!”
I feel like as women, we are way too hard on ourselves to be “perfect” when in reality there is no such thing.

Do you have any message you feel called to share about where you are at in your life right now to encourage other GORGO GIRLS?

I have been a single mom for the past 16 years. After my divorce, I was left with extremely low self -esteem and the feeling that I was not good enough. After my divorce, my main concentration was completely on my boys- first as toddlers, then on their travel hockey schedule as they got older. I lost myself and my identity by literally getting through each day in a robotic fashion. Between work, sports schedules and keeping up with a home, I began to gain weight leading me to literally every fad diet on the market from pills, shakes, medial weight loss and weight watchers. I was very active in high school playing basketball and softball so gaining unwanted pounds was a frustration for me. I knew I needed to be in the gym but literally had no time for myself. I would do classes at work or at various gyms here and there but nothing of any consistency. In 2012, my oldest son left for the Marine Corps at age 17. I told him if he could do 13 weeks in bootcamp, then I should at least commit to a program while he was there. I went through an extreme bikini bootcamp and had great success. A few days after that camp, I suffered a mini stroke due to afib and a blood clot in my heart.

BAM………..huge set back.

Again feeling sorry for myself, I was reluctant to head back to the gym. However, my squad of women at my gym kept me encouraged. Still not being consistent, I got hit with another set back in late 2017. I lost my job of over 29 years without explanation.

That was my turning point. Instead of having it be a set back in my life, I used it as a comeback!  I literally ran back to my home gym the next day and began spinning as often as I could to release my anger. I then completed another extreme bootcamp and decided to really go after it and compete in a bikini competition. At age 50, I was finally doing something for me and me only.

I have learned a lot in my fitness and life journey which is where my new mantra comes from “progress over perfection”. I try to take each day to be thankful that I am healthy enough to do what I love and keep in mind what one of my trainers told me years ago: “Slow and steady wins the race”. Life is a journey, not a sprint.

What do you love most about the GORGO community?

I love the GORGO community because I now have a tribe, my tribe of like-minded, non-judgmental, loving women that support each other in so many aspects of life both from a fitness standpoint to every day issues.

CAMP GORGO: Thoughts about your experience? Fav part? What made you want to attend?

My story is a funny way that I attended camp. One of my friends had been following Val on social media and called me to tell me about a camp she had always wanted to attend. Without hesitation or any knowledge of Gorgo, I simply said “Let’s book it.” I think I had it paid for before we hung up. Once I signed up and actually looked up where we were going, I began to get excited. Walking in the door Friday night solidified that we had made a great decision. Everyone was so warm and friendly and I immediately felt like I belonged. I was surprised that it was as much as an emotional weekend as physical. We laughed, cried, lifted weights and danced with some amazing women from all walks of life that I am happy to now call friends! I can’t wait to come back next year with my new Queens.