HOW DID I GET HERE?
If you are new to me, you might not know my story!
1975- Born in Lagos-Nigeria, hence why my favorite weather is hot & humid and why I thrive in chaos.
1980 – My family moves back to Europe and decides they don’t want to raise their kids in either of their countries (France or Italy) so they move to Santiago de Chile where they don’t speak the language nor know anybody there.
1982 - I am called stupid by my tutor and that made me feel not enough.
1983 - Bullied in school for my big nose and bullied at home by my big brother for my hairy arms and legs. This made me feel unworthy of love.
1988 – I realize I am a fucking badass in sports & my grandpa gifts me my 1st road bike! My passion for bikes begins! I also switch from horse show jumping to dressage where I became the National Champion of Chile in my age group several consecutive years in a row.
1993 - Both of my siblings move to the States for College and my father falls into a deep depression. The house is dark, unstable with mood swings and paranoia. I switch from adolescent life to caregiver. My life feels out of control and sports is my only outlet to feel normal and in control.
1994 – I graduate high school and move to US to attend Uni at Colorado State University where I start teaching group fitness classes. I trade my horse for my bike for good and my parents relocate back to Nigeria where my dad suffers bigger bipolar swings.
1998- My dad commits suicide & my life is shattered. I graduate with a BS in Wildlife Biology and minor in Zoology & move to Baltimore. I start teaching group fitness classes at local gyms and work as a research tech in a laboratory.
1999- I travel to Bariloche Argentina for an internship, to collect field data for 3 months in the Patagonia on the endangered huemul. I eventually travel back to Baltimore for love and elope in order to stay.
2000- I start a new job with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center traveling nationally and internationally as a field marine biologist. I train and finish my 1st Century ride in Santa Fe, New Mexico in my dad’s honor.
2001 – I start teaching spinning & compete in my 1st Olympic Triathlon.
2003 - Get divorced and enter the darkest phase of my life abusing alcohol and myself ending in the ER with 38 staples across my stomach. I had lost many things in my life but losing myself was what made me start looking for me again with love.
2005 – Meet my love, Jimmie in one of my spin charity classes!
2006 - We move in together and I start a new job close to home at University of Maryland as a project manager.
2007- I run in the Baltimore Marathon as part of a relay team. This is the longest distance (6.5 miles) that I had ever run in my life & is the start to my running journey.
2008 – Run my 1st half marathon at the Baltimore Running Festival!
2011 – Run my 1st marathon in the Marine Corps Marathon.
2012 – We get married & adopt Eva, a 6 months old pitbull from BARCS (Baltimore’s animal shelter)
2013 – Become a lululemon ambassador and through goal coaching, I find the courage to leave my Research career to follow my big dream in opening Baltimore’s 1st cycle studio!
2014 – REV opens! Highlight of my life and I become obsessed with the business success.
2015 – Race my 1st IRONMAN 70.3 in Cozumel & create YOU Unleashed brand.
2016 – Race my 1st IRONMAN in Los Cabos, open REV’s 2nd studio, and lead at Wanderlust sparking interest in retreats.
2018 – Co-lead my 1st retreat in Iceland & race my 1st World Champs IM 70.3 in South Africa giving me time to reconnect with self outside of REV.
2019 – I sell REV to my business partner and expand YOU Unleashed offerings to retreats & IRONMAN Coaching.
2020 – Start with 2 triathlete clients & lead my 3rd retreat in Guatemala before COVID hits! I quickly pivot from race strategy coaching to health & long term goal coaching with races canceling due to global pandemic. I expand my offerings to Cycling & Running Coaching to attract new clients. I also experience my share of race cancelations. But nothing hits harder then Eva’s diagnosis with 1 month to live. I run my own Charity Marathon in October to raise money for BARCS in honor for Eva. 5 months later she is showing us what is possible when you never give up! Seeing her tenacity, I register last minute for IRONMAN Cozumel and travel alone to remember who Esther Fucking Collinetti is even during a global pandemic.
What I’ve learned through the years and especially in 2020 is that you have ZERO control over life but you have 100% control over how you want to feel and how you approach each challenge that life throws at you. You also must fucking believe in yourself no matter what. Therefore do things that remind you of the fucking badass that you are over and over and over again.
Closing 2020 with gratitude towards friends, family, clients & health. Keep expanding who you are by becoming your authentic self, that is your true power my friends.