As the owner of her own rock climbing guide business, there’s no obstacle big enough that LEGEND Brand Ambassador, Whitney Vestal, can’t climb over.
“Climbing is scary and overcoming that is a huge part of why I like climbing,” Whitney said. “Every day I climb and don’t cry is a big accomplishment!”
Whitney also does marketing for a running company and assistant coaches a high school cross country team. And while she may joke about her climbing anxiety, she is very serious about health and personal fitness- enough to make her life all about it.
“I knew what I liked and I changed my career to match that. It was not easy by any means, but I knew what I wanted to do and I took it one step at a time to reach the point of where I’m at now,” she said. “Sometimes it felt that I was going back two steps for every step I took forward, but you have to just keep staying positive. And I’m not done yet. I keep dreaming and keep planning and taking the steps to get to where I want to be.”
Whitney’s ambition to overcome obstacles is so strong, it spills over to the kids she helps coach:
“It’s a blast to watch kids work through the uncomfortable-ness, mentally and physically, to reach their goals. I keep pushing so hard to be the best I can be for them, to show them that we all have obstacles to overcome but that it’s your mindset that gets you to where you need to be,” she said.
Whitney’s passion for running and fitness began when she was the same age as her current students. She started running in middle school and participated in the annual Race for the Cure in Denver with her mom. In high school, she quit volleyball to pursue cross country, and senior year of college she ran her first marathon. She’s been a runner ever since.
“Running started to be a big part of my life when I used it to stay fit and healthy. Since then, it became a rock in my life, something I could always rely on, something I could control when the world around me was hard and chaotic,” she said.
And some time after that, three years ago to be exact, Whitney added compression to her normal recovery regimen. “I was continuously injured, tired, and my muscles just never seemed to recover after workouts. One day, I tried a friend’s leg compression machine, you know the ones that you fit over your legs and it fills with air. I felt amazing afterward, and from then on I started using compression socks/sleeves turning long training runs, after and at racing events,” she said.
Whitney is a regular wearer of LEGEND Compression Wear. “I love LEGEND’s products. They are well made, made with science and compression technology in mind, and are comfortable!”
“The recovery socks are by far my favorite product and I have yet to find anything like them elsewhere. And recently, I discovered their new hiking socks! They compress my feet, wick moisture and leave my feet warm enough on cold days. They are perfect for hiking – I even wore them on my most recent backpacking trip in the Tetons,” she said.
As a coach, runner, climber, and all-around busybody, Whitney shares some recovery insights: “When I’m really good about foam rolling and stretching after EVERY run or workout, I notice that I feel much more fit and can get through all my workouts, no problem. But when I am rushing between all my jobs and my own workouts, sometimes I skimp on the recovery, so I really do use the Recovery Socks. By no means do they replace stretching, but they do feel good and help my achy feet and calves.”
With feet and calves feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, ain’t no mountain tall enough to keep Whitney Vestal from crushing her next big achievement. Go Whitney!
Follow Whitney on all of her adventures at racingthestates.wordpress.com.