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The woman on top of the mountain did not fall there...

She climbed. She slipped. She second-guessed herself. She carried old stories that told her she wasn’t enough, and sometimes that voice was louder than anything else.

That woman is me.

I wasn’t always a coach, or a trainer, or a business owner. I started as an overweight, insecure kid who played sports but never really believed she was an athlete. I grew up in a world that said: If you’re not the best, you’re nothing. Shine bright, but not too bright. Imagine trying to reconcile those two messages as a kid. Spoiler: you can’t.

By the time I hit college, I was burnt out and broken down. I struggled with disordered eating. I was afraid of training too hard because I thought it might make me “too big.” My batting average tanked. I numbed with drinking and partying, trying to cover up the grief of losing my identity as an athlete. When my competitive career ended, I felt like I ended with it.

But the truth is, that was just the valley before the climb.

Slowly, awkwardly, I came back to training. At first, it wasn’t for the healthiest reasons; it came from a place of self-loathing and feeling lost. But then something shifted. I got curious, curious about how my body actually worked, what it truly needed, and what it could do. This time, training wasn’t about being the best. It was about being better for myself. I dove into education, studied movement, and faced down the fear. I tried things that terrified me, and I failed a lot. (Spoiler: failing is how you start getting good at anything.)

And step by step, I rebuilt.

I didn’t do it alone. Along the way, I had so many coaches and mentors who challenged me, teammates and peers who lifted me up, and a community that kept me accountable when I wanted to quit. I questioned myself constantly. I doubted whether I belonged, whether I was strong enough, whether I could actually change. But I kept showing up, one shaky step at a time.

Then, after the birth of my son, everything deepened. My body felt foreign, my confidence wavered, and I had to start over in many ways. But becoming a mother gave me a new “why.” I didn’t just want to be strong for me, I wanted to model resilience for him. I wanted him to grow up with a different story than I had, to see that movement could be joyful, empowering, and part of who you are, not just what you achieve.

So I kept climbing. I learned, I trained, I failed forward, and I grew into someone who could help others do the same.

Now, on the other side, I’m not just standing here for myself. I’m a board-certified health and wellness coach. A studio owner and manager, and more importantly a healthy community builder. A movement trainer with multiple certifications. But more than that, I’m someone who understands what it feels like to be an “everyday athlete”:

• The over-thinker who cycles through motivation, fear, failure, quitting, and starting again.
• The soul who’s strong on the outside but relentlessly hard on themselves inside.
• The person who wants to shine, but isn’t sure if they’re allowed to.

I didn’t fall here. I climbed here. And I believe you can climb your mountain too.

👉 If this resonates, please share this link with someone who needs to hear they’re not climbing alone: https://summit-stronger.kit.com

— Christine Bettera
NBHWC- Board Certified Health Coach | ACSM-CPT

How I can help you right now:

• ​1:1 Coaching (virtual or in-person): Personalized fitness, nutrition, health, and lifestyle coaching designed to meet you where you are.
• ​Group Coaching (Elevate 8 + other programs): For everyday athletes who want structure, accountability, and community while building strength and resilience.
• ​Studio Classes & Training (Tahoe Flow Arts & Fitness): Yoga, strength, aerial, and movement training with an amazing mountain community.
• ​Retreats & Events: Immersive experiences where movement, mindset, and connection come together.
• ​Corporate & Team Wellness: Workshops, trainings, and programs designed to support employee health, resilience, and performance, ideal for mountain resorts, hospitality, and other organizations who want to invest in their people.

If you’ve been waiting for the “right time,” consider this your nudge.

Mental 🏔️ Peaks: Identity & Health

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Here’s the truth: how you see yourself, your identity, shapes how you show up for your health.

Psychologists call this identity-based behavior change. Research shows we’re more likely to stick with habits when they align with who we believe we are. For example:

• If you see yourself as “the kind of person who takes care of their body,” you’re more likely to lace up your shoes even on a tired morning.
• If you identify as an “athlete,” even in your everyday life, you’ll approach food, rest, and training differently.
• If your identity is wrapped up in not being enough? You’ll hesitate, self-sabotage, and restart the cycle again and again.

For years, my identity was stuck between “not an athlete” and “only valuable if I’m the best.” It wasn’t until I started building a new identity, someone who trains for strength, who values consistency over perfection, who is allowed to shine, that my habits stuck and my confidence grew.

The key isn’t just what you do, it’s who you believe you are.​
Every workout, every choice, every small action is a vote for the identity you want to grow into.

So here’s your reflection for this week:
👉 Who do you want to be on the other side of your climb? And what’s one small action today that casts a vote for that identity?

Sources:

• ​Habit and Identity – Frontiers in Psychology​
• ​The Relationship Between Habit and Identity in Health Behaviors (Meta-Analysis)​
• ​Identity-Based Habits – James Clear​
• ​The Identity Hack to Behavioral Change – Psychology Today​
• ​The Role of Identity in Human Behavior Research – Taylor & Francis​
• ​Identity Processes During Health Behavioral Change – Leiden University​

Never Stop Learning:

Get your resources here...

• ​Stronger Easeful Nutrition E-Book​
• ​Goal Smashing E-Workbook
• ​Stronger Prep High Protein E-Book​
• ​Summit Stronger Blog​
• ​Meal Prep Done For You!​
• ​Coach Christine's Insight Timer Meditations​

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Summit Stronger LLC | PO Box 2805 Kings Beach, CA 96143

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