Name: Michelle Davis
Age: 48
Current Town: Holbrook New York
Marital Status: Married
Kids: 3 Boys Alec age 19, Sawyer age: 18, Ross age: 15
PET: Scrambler –Standard Poodle
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Masters of Social Work
Certification: Case management/Hospice and Palliative Care
Occupation: License Master Social Worker St. Francis Hospital LVAD /Heart Failure Program
Hobbies: Strength training, running, watching lax and soccer, spending time with family and friends, singing and acting.
I was born in Kings Park New York with my parents and three siblings Marcia, Glen and Robin. I was raised in a traditional Jewish home. I am the youngest of the bunch. My parents stressed the importance of education and family values. Religion was important and we all attended Hebrew School and celebrated our Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. My greatest memories of my childhood was shared with my cousins and siblings. Being the youngest allowed me to share special moments with my grandparents learning Yiddish and attending group events with their friends. The one trait that each sibling has in common is musical talent. My sister Marcia is a singer and is also a piano and guitar player. She pursued her degree in Music Therapy and continues to enjoy singing. My brother, Glen was a very talented Trumpet player, piano player, sings and has performed for fun is shows. My sister Robin is a music teacher and has performed in many shows and her instrument is her voice and able to play multiple instruments as well. I played the flute from 6 grade and have not played it since college (many years ago). I enjoy singing.
Throughout my years of school I was never really athletic and struggled with my weight. My father encouraged me to join the cross country team in 9th grade. I thought he was crazy and agreed to it so he would leave me alone. I remember like it was yesterday, I hopped into the coach Yandel’s station wagon and went to Sunken Meadow to my first practice. Thinking to myself that this was not for me I took the opportunity and gave it a chance. We ran through the trails and I could hardly breathe. The one thing I learned was that I was going to commit to this and was not going to quit. I enjoyed the part of being a part of a team. I set goals for myself and realized that even though I was not the fastest runner I still had support from my team and did it for me. Throughout High School I did not run track just Cross Country and did local races. I continued running up until my freshman year of college and completed my first half marathon (Entenmann’s run now the Northwell run) in under 2 hours. I took a break from running and completed my studies. I enjoyed spinning and working out at the gym but was inconsistent.
My father was an avid runner and I attended most of his races (summer series, NYC marathon, Boston Marathon and local races). He would get me to join him but I would be so nervous. I did enjoy the time we shared attending the Melrose Games at MSG and he would reminisce his story of when he ran in the games in college. He was a member of Northport Running Club and GLIRC. I never understood why it was so special to him.
I completed my studies and met my husband, Judd while completing my Master of Social Work Degree. Judd always supported me throughout all of my life’s challenges both up and down. We have three boys who can be a handful at times. We spend most of our time at the lax and soccer fields when not working. I identified that due to stress of the job I needed to do take time for myself when able to. I committed to getting up each day at 4:30 am and doing a workout. Somedays it was weight training and other days it was running. Incorporating this into my daily life has made me feel better and allowed me to do what I needed after work for the family. Fitness has become a part of me and I enjoy it very much. My boys watch me stay committed to my fitness goals and are supportive throughout my training. They would think I was crazy while I trained for the marathon but was as proud as I was when I received the medal of completion. My mother in law has become my running coach and will be there in her athletic wear and have my water, clothes at the finish line. I appreciate that she shares this time with me and wakes up early on her days off to drive me to assure I arrive on time. I try to show by example of how working for something you can achieve it. It’s not selfish to have goals and want to see certain accomplishments. Sometimes you get caught up but you come back. The Selden Hills made me feel welcomed and a part of a community that allows me to be myself. Trish Lucille introduced me to Lou and here I am. Lou was so welcoming and I haven’t been to the hills in a while but plan to make it to be a part of my training. I enjoy being a part of a running community and know this is where I belong.
Word Quotes I live by:
Live life to its fullest
Don’t sweat the small stuff
When you feel like quitting remember why you started
Be a leader not a follower