Meet Betsy

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Betsy. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Betsy , so excited to have you with us today and we are really interested in hearing your thoughts about how folks can develop their empathy? In our experience, most folks want to be empathic towards others, but in a world where we are often only surrounded by people who are very similar to us, it can sometimes be a challenge to develop empathy for others who might not be as similar to us. Any thoughts or advice?

I was a privileged kid, never wanting for anything. My every need was taken care of, I grew up in an upper middle class family, enjoying the happiness and blessings that I thought every child had. I could read, write, play sports, lived in a beautiful home- my college was paid for and I started my adult life with a ton of support. Something I thought everyone had. I had no idea about those who struggled with mental illness, disabilities, poverty and most certainly not developmental disabilities or autism. I looked at those people as the “other”. I was unaware of my naive thinking and in looking back I was just simply ignorant to real life challenges and struggles other than some pretty serious issues dealing with my looks and my body image from being in a weight restricted sport. And so I decided to never have children and to focus my life on ME and my wants and needs. I became a pro bodybuilder and spent my 20s and 30s solely focused on myself and my career and my body. Until I met a man when I was 39 who convinced me to settle down and have a family. And I did. I am now the parent of one severely autistic, nonverbal child and another who is on the spectrum with a serious language and developmental behavioral delays. My boys have taught me more about empathy, life and the human experience more than any book, lesson or relationship I have ever experienced. There is much more to this story in how I am now dedicating my life to caring for them and meeting their needs while also running my own successful business.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am the owner of Betsy Bootcamp a fitness, nutrition and positive body Bootcamp for competitive gymnasts. I travel the country teaching young girls about self love through functional nutrition and physical conditioning. I started the Bootcamp because as a child my gymnastics coach told me I was overweight but never gave me education or guidance. His words broke my spirit and my self esteem. My Bootcamp is the education I never was given. I am the hero I never had- teaching young girls that self care through proper diet not only helps performance but self esteem. I have written three books, Binges and Balance Beams, Gymnachef and Gymnachef 2. I also have a monthly membership which is a resource for gymnastics coaches and athletes that provides monthly conditioning and nutrition education. Betsy Bootcamp is worldwide, online and in person. Is have traveled to over 210 gyms in the past decade and have clients from the USA to Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and Canada and many more could tries around the globe.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Work harder in yourself than you do at your job! Constant education, updating certifications, writing books, attending and speaking at conferences along with investing in coaches and mentors.

2. Failure! I have failed many times in different projects, which has pushed me to keep growing. My failures have made my success even sweeter and have provided me with the learning experience and motivation to keep going. I’ve been a small business owner now for 15 years

3. Self care. I am the mother of two developmentally handicapped children. Continuous focus on nutrition, excercise and staying disciplined on my health allows me to thrive and travel and keep up with my gymnasts as well as with my children.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Currently I am taking my expertise in working with gymnasts and creating a sensory and special needs program in the gym I work out of in cincinnati. I feel like I need to continue to grow as a professional and also help my own community-those in the neurodivergent world- specifically children and young people with autism who have limited access to sports and activities. I’m building a network of people in the community to bring this passion project of Betsy Bootcamp for “All Children” to a reality!

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