Athlete and financial advisor Ruth Saunders is an enigma. She is warm, ferocious, vulnerable, fearless, funny and direct. A fighter in every sense of the word, Ruth is no stranger to life香蕉视频直播檚 occasional inadequacies, but she transforms them into fuel and pushes herself to explore the limits of her strength.

香蕉视频直播淭here have been some rocky moments in my life,香蕉视频直播� Ruth says humbly. 香蕉视频直播淟ifting weights became a natural therapy for me and I think my sports are another huge outlet. You could have the worst day in the world and walk into the gym and you just give it everything you have; leave it in a pile of sweat on the mats and when you walk out, you don香蕉视频直播檛 have the energy to be anything. It香蕉视频直播檚 the very best therapy.香蕉视频直播�

Ruth香蕉视频直播檚 dedication translates into her day job. She is one of the most proficient financial advisors with (a division of First West Credit Union) and attributes her success to her drive and relentless commitment to everything she does.

And as a busy single mother of two boys, she has learned to tackle the throws of life head-on.

香蕉视频直播淚 started wrestling in high school. I really liked the physical aspect of the sport,香蕉视频直播� she says.

From wrestling with the boys in high school, Ruth began training in . For the last 12 years, she香蕉视频直播檚 worked with a tight-knit group of men in Victoria.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e always wanted to be treated like one of the boys. I have always said, 香蕉视频直播楧on香蕉视频直播檛 hold back, don香蕉视频直播檛 treat me different. Give me 110 per cent like you would any other guy,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� Ruth says with an impressive tenacity in her voice.

Ruth explains that her patience and defensive skills give her an advantage as a fighter.

香蕉视频直播淚 train so much with bigger, stronger, faster guys, I don香蕉视频直播檛 have a ton of opportunity for offence. I香蕉视频直播檓 patient. I look for an opportunity to go for a submission. And I don香蕉视频直播檛 give up. There is absolutely no quit in me.

The athlete divulges proof that hard work pays off with a number of wins in various bodybuilding and MMA competitions. Ruth first discovered her knack for competition in 2010 when she won a round-robin style MMA event.

香蕉视频直播淭hat event gave me a thrill for competing, and qualified me for the Western Canadians in 2011, in Vancouver,香蕉视频直播� she says.

The Western Canadians went extremely well for Ruth; she won all of her divisions in the 2011 competition. With two substantial competition wins under her belt, she set a goal to go to the World Martial Arts Games in Austria.

香蕉视频直播淚 am very goal-oriented. I have always believed in setting a personal goal and going for it.香蕉视频直播�

Unfortunately, while the tenacious athlete made Team Canada for the World Martial Arts Games, she would never have the opportunity to compete.

香蕉视频直播淚 broke my leg three weeks outside of the competition. I didn香蕉视频直播檛 want to pull out. My trainer modified my training so I could keep going. So I kept training and broke it again,香蕉视频直播� says Ruth.

While Ruth didn香蕉视频直播檛 make it to the World Martial Arts Games, she was offered a professional contract for an MMA super fight league out of Mumbai, India.

Ruth focussed on her training while waiting for her visa to be processed 香蕉视频直播� but the Indian Consulate misplaced Ruth香蕉视频直播檚, her coach香蕉视频直播檚 and corner man香蕉视频直播檚 passports for two months.

香蕉视频直播淭raining for fight camps is no joke. I was so burnt out after waiting those two months that I needed to take a break and be nice to my body,香蕉视频直播� explains Ruth.

Without skipping a beat, she turned her focus back to bodybuilding and discovered the therapeutic benefits of .

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e always been drawn to very aggressive, adrenalin-based sports. I would sit and watch the kite surfers on Dallas Road after I had started surfing and I was like 香蕉视频直播業 have to do this,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� she says with a laugh.

Ruth learned the sport at Nitinat Lake on Vancouver Island, where kitesurfing schools are located.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 terrifying learning when you are so vulnerable and trusting something that can hurt you. And yet learning and realizing you are in control and letting go of your fear and anxiety and be under your own power 香蕉视频直播� it香蕉视频直播檚 unbelievably liberating. When taught right, it is great, safe, fun and healing,香蕉视频直播� she says.

Ruth will be running women香蕉视频直播檚 weekend kitesurf camps with her girlfriend香蕉视频直播� who is a professional kitesurf athlete 香蕉视频直播� with the intention of helping other women.

香蕉视频直播淪o many women are survivors of emotional, mental and physical abuse in some sense. The one thing that I have found that is so healing, is being out on the water and being under the power of something that is so incredibly strong and freeing, and being able to control that. It is incredible to shift that control.香蕉视频直播�

She adds: 香蕉视频直播淢y passion is to work with women who are survivors.香蕉视频直播�

With an ever-growing list of goals to pursue and lives to change, the evolution of Ruth Saunders continues. Ruth has yet to find the limit of her strength, and her journey to discover the depth of her power as a human being promises to be an even better story in the years to come.

-Story by Chelsea Forman/Boulevard Magazine

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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