Our path in life is unknown, but it is certain that we will encounter deep struggles along the way. It is in these struggles, these dark places we go in life, that are often given the chance to become stronger and wiser. Perhaps it is in unforeseen ways. Nonetheless, it is there, changing us, and with what control we have, we make choices that shape us into who we are.Sarah Canney is not one to shy away from her struggles and how it has shaped her to be who she is today. Having encountered deep struggles early on in her life, and having to spend so much of her time pushing through each day, she has come out resilient. On this path that was her life, she managed to find herself, and gain the confidence to know she is a person needing love and worthy of it.
Sarah Canney is a mother of 3 and a resident of the New England area - specifically New Hampshire. For her, it is very much home, not just for its beauty but for how it fuels her spirit and joy throughout the year in a number of ways. In an interview with BUBS Naturals, one can see the light she sheds on speaking of her story, and one would almost think it impossible to know how deeply she has had to struggle.“In my teens and then on into my twenties I struggled with an eating disorder,” explains Sarah. However, it was at the early age of 10 that the issue really manifested. She had gotten into dieting as a young girl and this more or less was what led her down a path of unhealthy choices and ultimately a clinical issue. “It just intensified as I got older.”“Originally I was diagnosed with anorexia,” she explains. Though she had professional treatment, the treatment failed in major ways. The way this worked was that when you reached a certain healthy weight, you were discharged. “I was discharged,” explains Sarah, “but I was not better.” The issue here was that the underlying issues had not been dealt with. The root of her eating disorder was not actually treated.Her eating disorder eventually turned to bulimia, and though she was happy to not have the appearance of someone so unhealthy, she was still struggling. In fact, the struggle was something that could almost be more secret. However, in time she found a love that gave her the strength to withstand the negative thoughts that weighed on her.
“It really was my pregnancy with my daughter that was a catalyst for huge change in terms of my recovery from my eating disorder,” explains Sarah. “If I wanted the best for her, I needed to want the best for myself.” This was her motivation to make the changes that she needed in life. This was how she discovered her passion and love for running.“As I was discovering running I was kind of also discovering myself,” explains Sarah. When she got out on the trail outdoors, the negative voice in her head started to go quiet - there instead came a positive voice of what she is capable of. “The more I did that the more I set goals for myself. I just started to gain confidence and this sense of self that had really started to be squashed by the eating disorder.” It gave Sarah a sense of hope. “This little [positive] voice…inside me started to grow the more I ran.”This integration of running into her life on a daily basis became the start of a huge shift in her lifestyle. The integration of and awareness of health grew, utilizing such supplements as BUBS Naturals MCT Oil and Collagen, as well as components of self-love and improvement. In a way though, running was the heart of it. “Running was this daily practice engaging with this positive mindset,” Sarah says as she reflects on how it has influenced her life.
Through embracing her journey in life, Sarah has managed to become an inspiration - whether she knows it or not. The reason for this is not because she runs, or because she eats great supplements. It’s because of her honesty and how she speaks freely of her story. “One of the things that I discovered when I was in recovery that was pretty pivotal…” she explains, “ [is] the more light you shine on something…the less power it has over you.”Through sharing her story, she was freed of the burdens of being limited by her eating disorder, and it being who she was. She embraced it as a part of her story. And through running, she was able to discover more fully who she is.Today, Sarah is a passionate runner inspiring others. She was a Bronze Metal Competitor in the 2020 World Snowshoe Championship. She runs a blog and works freelance in writing, discussing all topics pertaining to running. She also runs an amazing retreat in the spring and fall with a number of events.The Rise Run Retreat has drawn a crowd of women of over 200 and has had extremely positive responses. It encourages women to do something for themselves, as the crowd often includes women who are walking giving in the life they live. Sarah plans for the event to only grow bigger in time and continue to inspire women through her story, her passion for running, and living as an example of how to love one's self.