"Tracy Higgs" Takes on Professional Wrestling

I couldn’t imagine how I was ever going to try wrestling as a 58-year-old woman, one slightly past her prime wrestling starter age, but I was pleasantly surprised when a 27-year-old co-worker of my husband, who started professional wrestling a year ago, offered to “show me the ropes.”  

Admitting that I was a bit unsure of myself, I walked into the Institute of Professional Wrestling doors, wearing blue, not my traditional pink, to blend in with the dudes I’d be with. I was greeted by my friend Mark, his coach and four other guys there for the evening’s workout. I started by sharing my sports background to show them I wasn’t there as a joke but rather as someone truly interested in learning their sport and trying it out.

Immediately we began warming up with footwork, running in and out of ladders on the ground, in different ways. “Footwork is most essential in wrestling,” our coach Isys Ephex, a long time wrestler and coach stated. A good twenty-minute running of the ladders got the heart rate up. Next, the men went into the ring practicing different moves as I watched and asked questions. Before I knew it, I was in the ring to learn some necessary beginner moves involving multiple rolls crisscrossing the four corners of the ring. I hadn’t done somersaults in forty years but it came back to me sort of,  if not as gracefully as  wished.

Coach Isys showing me how it is done.

Then the guys got into doing more individual work while I watched and talked to each man waiting for their turn in the ring to learn why they do pro wrestling. Soon enough,  it was my time to get in the ring to learn specific ways to run into the corner of the ring, throw your body up and then feet out, propel yourself off, and then do it again in the opposite corner. There are ways to use, not only your body but the apparatus, to your advantage in doing this.   

Next it was time to watch the guys spar, or wrestle, each other performing specific choreographed moves with sounds and “acting” – thus theatrical athletics. You just don’t go into a ring to compete with someone without knowing what you are doing, if you are the “good” or “bad” guy and how your choreography sells the crowd. Sometimes there are hits and punches that land, but good wrestlers know how to move so it looks and sounds like it authentically, thus the practice.

One last call into the ring for me so I could learn the most basic technique of “locking up,” a technique when a pro wrestler has their first contact with their opponent. It is usually a collar and elbow tie-up where each wrestler grabs their opponent behind the neck. Oh, I was ready for this one.  As Coach Isys and I did a number of lock-ups, I told him it felt like waltzing with him, which created a chuckle, but that is what it felt like at least for this beginner. Movements back and forth, following his lead, around the ring and into the final corner. I liked it!

Thanks to Mark aka @markuszeal on Instagram (follow him) for inviting me to the ring

After two and half hours which, went by quickly, we all gathered in the ring for a photo. I told them about the name contest for my WWE name – the Savage Suffragette – to which they all said, “that’s too long!” so they asked my full name and they all said, “Your name is Tracy Higgs!”  So there you have it, my official WWE name if I ever go into pro wrestling officially.

What I learned from these awesome guys and the sport, is it is way harder than you think it is so the professionals on television or in the rings have put in tons of training. It is very athletic so you need muscles, strength and also a good memory for choreography, along with some vocal prompts and noises to sell what you are doing. I can easily say, I had fun and learned a lot as well as having some aches and pains now as I type, which I expected, and hold in great honor for my attempt.

You can find out more about the Institute of Professional Wrestling on their Facebook page. Go try it out one night and you might like me, wish you could go back.

Tracy Higgs and her guys!

Note: Professional wrestling is a dramatic enactment of wrestling as a spectator sport. “Promotions” are the way wrestling federations create events featuring pro wrestlers. In the United States currently there are four professional wrestling promotions: WWE, Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and All Elite Wrestling (AEW). In 2015, WWE revamped its women’s divisions by hiring mainly independent wrestlers opposed to models.

2023 National Girls and Women in Sports Day Activity

Under the clearest blue sky you would ever find in Syracuse in the middle of winter, gathered three women who never met before. The brisk 20-degree air temperature didn’t stop us from getting together to cross country ski, network, talk about our companies, and share our love of sports.

We were inspired to gather because it was the 37th Annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD), as earmarked by the Women’s Sports Foundation founded by Billie Jean King.  The Foundation was created to unlock the possibilities in every girl and woman through the power of sport. Their NGWSD is held every year on February 1 and inspires women and girls to gather around the love of sport.

As a child of ski shop owners and ski instructors, gliding on snow in downhill or cross country skis were easy for me, and for one other woman, Jennifer, who cross country skis a lot, but for one woman,  Janet, with brand new skis, it was a first time attempt on slightly ice and cold conditions.

The three of us began together but soon decided Jennifer should take off on the 3-mile lake loop while I stayed with our Janet and help her if she needed it. I was able to use my parent’s teaching tools and 50- years of experience to “glide” her along, giving her pointers on movement, how to go up slight hills with slipping backwards, and even how to get up when you fall – as evident by my own tumble – which made us both laugh! Hey, even old-time skiers fall sometimes.

As the two of us slid gently, up and down, the path weaving in and out of tall pine trees, I said to my new friend, “even the tallest trees have to start somewhere” trying to make her feel better as she started off. She smiled, continued skiing, and once-in-awhile on my suggestion looked up to see what glorious woodlands she was playing in today. As we ended our shorter path, I gave her applause and a high five for trying this sport for the first time in her life at the age of 61. “Not all of us are born to parents who ski,” I reminded her.

As Jennifer joined us in the lodge, we sat in beautiful wooden rocking chairs getting to know each other’s businesses better and sharing our areas of expertise. As you suspect, the conversation centered on health, wellness, sports, holistic practices, and eating well. Thyroid function, stem cells, alopecia, and living a gluten-free life arose in our talks.  Jennifer gave us a X-39 patch which is used for light therapy since she is a 25-year practitioner of acupuncture and light therapy. Janet shared her new written works and aspirations for a published book one day. No matter what woman I meet, there is always something positive to glean from the meeting.

On the way out of the lodge, we hugged, promised to stay in touch and get to know each other better. Both of them want to try some other sports with me – one parasailing, and one the biathlon. I promised to keep in touch and tell them when I had those sports booked to try. If it wasn’t for this special once-a-year recognition of women and girls in sports, we wouldn’t have gathered and shared the morning together.

The next time you are lonely, call up a girlfriend, another woman in your community, or a woman with an interest in sports, and get together to enjoy the day, learning, stoking your energy, and taking in a bit of nature along the way. Office work can wait sometimes, especially on a sunny, cold day in February.  

Field Hockey - Playing in a Wolf Pack

Keuka College Women’s Field Hockey Team with Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham and businesswomen

Arriving on the lakeside campus reminded me of my youth growing up on a lake and making my heart sing. Nestled in the Finger Lakes, about an hour and a half from my home, is the quaint campus of Keuka College my sports destination for the day. Mesmerized by its charm, I parked my car behind the Recreation Center, went inside to find one of the most likeable coaches I’ve ever met – Erika Profenno smiling and ready to make learning Field Hockey my goal for the day.

Women’s Athletic Network players of the day

Choosing a PINK stick, of course.

Seven business women, some with field hockey experience or moms of some of the Keuka College Wolverines Women’s Field Hockey team, arrived and started networking. We met there to caravan to the field where the players were eager to teach us this historic game.  You might not know but field hockey’s origins started in the 18th-century making it one of the oldest team sports in history.  Some of the business women brought field hockey sticks, goalie pads, and shin guards to uniform up for the game.

As we arrived at the field looking over the campus and lake, the stars of the show greeted us.  They were giggly, exuberant team players ranked from freshman to seniors who play for Coach Erika. They were well- trained, well-behaved, and excited to teach a bunch of middle-aged women how to play the sport they loved on a brisk Saturday morning.  As a college student, I cherished Saturday mornings so I can’t imagine being this happy myself if I had to rise and instruct a bunch of 50-year-old women.

Led by Senior Captain Makaela Mills, we learned how to “flick”, “strike”, “drive,” and “defend.” I easily perfected the drive motion since my energy level was high, but flicking the round compact ball, that fit in the palm of my hand although larger than a golf or lacrosse ball, was a tougher move for me. My friend Jill Bates said, “I keep thinking I’m driving a golf ball and raising my arms too high behind me.”  Coach Profenno came to our rescue giving us detailed guidance.  If there is one thing I’ve learned being taught so many different sports in a small span of time it’s that it is easy to confuse strokes and movements between them.

Soon we were assigned to two different teams, a mix of women and players, and lined up for two 8-minute halves for a scrimmage. FUN! I was put on the offensive line so I could score a goal. Behind me was a line of middies and then defenders and our goalie, a non-goalie player from the team who wanted to try out goal for once (she did great by the way).  I made both teams name themselves – we were called F2 – the Feminist Field Hockey Team and the other team chose the name Plan A. (check out our TikTok Video of the scrimmage at this link).

As we ran wildly chasing the ball with our sticks in front of us, we laughed and laughed and tried our best to score. I must admit I didn’t score and our team didn’t win but kudos to Plan A for their expertise and 2 goal win. At the end of the scrimmage, which I wish went longer, we gathered for a huddle, sticks in the air, and smiles on our faces for a large group photo.

Women TIES members giving career and life advice to the students over pizza

We headed back to the Recreation Center to have a pizza networking party complete with a career and business discussion for us to give back to these sharp students. I gifted them each a Chicken Soup for the Soul “Running for Good” book that held my Boston Marathon story to inspire them further in life to play and give.  To my surprise, they gifted me with my very own Keuka College Wolverine Jersey #24 which I absolutely love.

The experience was truly amazing. It was fun sport to learn and play - especially if you like running and being on a team. On this Monday morning, I am so proud to now be a part of the Wolf Pack – a Wolverine in heart and spirit.

Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham - The latest Keuka College Field Hockey Wolverine

Cheerleading - 1977

Rome Free Academy Cheerleaders, Rome, NY

I entered the smelling gymnasium one day after ninth period class ended. Other semi-confident, exuberant teenage girls, gathered with me. Leaning against the front walls were the most popular girls in school – the cheerleaders. With orange or black bows in their pig tails reflecting school colors, short pleated skirts around small waists showing skinny legs, and white blouses with differing sizes of breasts, some of them popping open since most cheerleaders were generally well-developed girls. One of them chewed her gum loudly, cracking it as if she was replicating the whip she’d use to get us all in order shortly.

Being a dyslexic right/left direction girl, I knew I could be in trouble replicating jumps, kicks, dances, and other fast-paced movements since our cheerleading instructors were facing us while teaching them. As an honor society student, I was pretty confident I could recite the simple cheer sentences which last time I checked hasn’t changed in four decades. Why is that?

After a few takes, it was time to be called up in a group of six to try out for the team – which meant perfecting the moves and basically screaming loudly. Oh, I could scream but could I jump and remember to reverse my moves mentally? Distinctively I remember I couldn’t, I simply couldn’t. Embarrassed because I was a pretty good athlete, I slouched my way back and leaned against the cold gymnasium wall waiting for my name to be called for the cheerleading squad.

To my dismay, but not quite shock, my name wasn’t called and instantly, only in a 13-year-old-girl’s mind, I thought, “I really didn’t want to be a cheerleader anyways!” I turned my nose up, walked out the gym door with my head held high, shoulders back, big breasts obviously-not a selling point in this case-aiming forward, and left my only attempt at becoming a cheerleader behind.

But what I realized soon after and during the rest of my athletic career was the fact; I rather preferred cheering on my own swim or track teammates, more than yelling for good-looking football or basketball players anyways. I loved mentally lifting up and helping my girlfriends more than boys who already received enough accolades and attention thrust upon them in the mid-seventies.

I believe failing at making the cheerleading squad might have sparked my feminist spirit so for that I’m personally and professionally grateful. “Go, Women!” I cheer loud and proudly with my white blouse now pink to represent females of all sizes, shapes, sexual preferences, occupations, and skin color because they are my favorite people.

Changed Forever - I'm a Boston Marathoner

Scott, Tracy and Adam Higginbotham after the 2017 Boston Marathon - April 17, 2017

“The person who starts the race is not the same person who finishes the race,” is a quote once seen on a marathon supporter sign on the side of a road. I remember reading this quote and wondering who I would be once I crossed the historic Boston Marathon line on Boylston Street. What would change, what moments would influence me for the rest of my life, what moments along the 26.2 miles would stay in my soul forever? I have the answers and I really want to share them with you today so this is a long and unique “Wednesday Wisdom” blog post. I hope you don’t mind.

The journey of a marathon starts long before the starting gun goes off jumpstarting your heart and legs for this tremendous adventure. The journey starts when you ask yourself, “Can I complete a marathon? Do I want to complete a marathon? What the heck does it take to finish a marathon?” Having always been inspired by women the motivation to run a marathon came in November 2015 sitting around a table of 13 international and American women in the brownstone rental Kathrine Switzer had arranged for the very first 261Fearless.org team meeting. I would have never known that one simple candle lit dinner with wine and homemade food would spark something I never knew existed within me.

As each woman introduced herself explaining why they were there, why they ran, and what they do, I was amazed to discover I was only 2 of 13 women who had never run a marathon; but I was a 15 year 2 mile a day runner which seemed to impress my new friends. Mary T., who sat across from me, just back from running a marathon in Antarctica and Inga, sitting to my right, was from Iceland who runs her country hills near fjords with a gun in case a bear crosses her path. She turned to me and said, “You should run in Iceland with me!” I’m not sure what my facial expression was but I sure as heck knew what my internal answer was….bears really?”

Kathrine V. Switzer, the first woman to officially register and run in the Boston Marathon (1967) and Tracy

Then came time to listen to the inspirational words of Kathrine Switzer, the hostess who brought us together within her dream to create 261Fearless.org and what it would mean for women globally if we could get involved and believe in her concept helping to launch it in our own cities and countries. It is hard to say “no” to Kathrine because she is the most wonderful, warm, amazing woman I have ever met. She is electric and gracious all rolled into one.

After bonding with these 13 women I left New York City changed, wishing I could stay with my new international friends forever and wanting to help Kathrine anyway I could. I knew I had to help women know more about K.V. Switzer what she had done in 1967 and what she planned to do so I arrived back to Syracuse ready to stay involved and we did when I landed her a speaking gig at my Alma mater SUNY Oswego and she repaid the favor speaking at a Women TIES event in April 2016.

In the late summer of 2016, I received an unexpected email asking for women to apply to run in the Boston Marathon with Kathrine on the 50th anniversary of her gender barrier breaking moment in history. My hands shook as I contemplated the decision and then I said, “No way could I run a marathon” and closed the email. Next thing I knew my NYC 261Fearless roommate from Louisiana (the other non-marathoner) posted a YouTube video saying in her southern drawl, “I’m doing this,” and next thing I knew I opened the invitation, filled out the application and sent it in! I knew I had to train, raise $7,261 dollars and then run it – which was going to be harder I wondered?

Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham, with the lucky marathon garland loaned to us before the race, and it worked!

9 months later, on April 17, 2017, as I walked excitedly towards the start line in the Hopkinton, Massachusetts where our Boston Marathon start was to begin, Dawn, my NYC roommate was at my side, fatefully put there again, to start this once in a life time experience. As we walked up behind Kathrine with 110 other excited women (and a few men), we looked at each other grabbed hands and said a prayer that we would each finish. Boom the gun went off and we ran our separate ways.

You see as much as you think you will run alongside someone to experience the Boston Marathon together, you can’t. As distinctively as our own personalities, we uniquely have to travel the 26.2 hilly miles from Hopkinton through Wellesley past Boston College and onto Boylston Street by ourselves with our own mantras, pace, spirit and depth of commitment. You can’t live someone else’s moment; you must live your own.

I felt great looking ahead at the colored hats and shirts of thousands of runners. The energy of the crowd sweeps you up for the first 7 miles as you run downhill and uphill with tons of people cheering you on. Then you start feeling the tightness in your legs, the slowing down of your pace and the reality you have 19 more miles to go. I was not discouraged on how I was feeling because I had trained for this thanks to my coach Reem Jishi, and knew it would take every ounce of tenacity to pull through.

Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham, almost done with the marathon, the W is for women!

I started thinking of the 110 people who donated to my 261Fearless.org charity raising $8,000 and I knew there was nothing that was going to stop me from finishing that race even if I had to walk and run to get there. The generosity of my donors fueled me in the doubtful moments. As I approached the beginning of HeartBreak Hill near my beloved Boston College, a blind woman and her coach ran by me on the left and a man with blade feet came up on me to the right, and my spirit raged as I witnessed these two individuals.

Heartbreak Hill is a long hill but it was “Heartful Hill” for me because my oldest son Thomas had gone to Boston College for four years and when I drove into visit him that was the last hill until his dorm. I loved that hill! BC Students were cheered me on as I yelled, “I love Boston College!” I stopped to have a 14 year old girl fix my iPod music and she said, “I love your bracelet which said ‘She believed she could, and so she did,’ a gift from my friend Susan Bertrand of Maureen’s Hope Foundation. I took it off and gave it to her as a thank you. She hugged me. I was energized once again.

Jill Bates, there for a surprise hug and extra energy to finish the last 3 miles.

Just as I came down the hill on “The Haunted Mile,” a flat part of the race in Newton, my husband and son hugged me and off I went until a mile later when Jill Bates, a Women TIES member from Rochester and her sister-in-law, an Ironwoman who I had donated to for her Hawaiian race, hugged me and gave me one last push to finish my last 3 miles. You see you receive if you give. Off I went, knowing the end was near.

Down the hill and the big left turn on Boylston Street, the crowd noise was louder than a Boston Red Sox victory over the Yankees. I couldn’t believe how loud that crowd was and how many people stayed to cheer us on. The elite athletes had finished hours before. Kathrine Switzer had finished an hour before at the age of 70 finalizing her big dream. You wouldn’t know you were a charity runner when you heard that crowd. I heard someone say, ‘Tracy….I turned around to see my roommate Dawn from Louisiana call my name. We had miraculously caught up to each other at the .2 mile of the 26.2 mile race. Was it fate? I say it was our prayers that we crossed the finish line.

At the end of the race I was a different person, a changed person. I realized that during the race I tried to give back to the crowd as much as they gave to me. I stopped took photos, danced for them, acknowledged them, shook their hands, gave hugs to people who held up “Do You Need A Hug” sign, slapped as many little girls hands as I could to make them happy, and slowed down to bask in the true “LOVE OF BOSTON.”

In the end, I realized how much people really care about others. The world news does not speak about this world that appears on the everyday streets that make up America – or Boston – or other great USA cities. People do believe in each other. We want to love others. We show our love the best we can. We are there in service and support from the smallest of us to the oldest.

Kathrine V. Switzer and Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham - 261 Fearless Team

I am changed forever by the love every single person in the Women TIES community, my family and my new Boston family showed me. I don’t know what to do with all this love but I sure do plan on giving away as much as I can to repay every person who believed in me. Come to a Women TIES event and I’ll give you a hug to share it.

Although the bracelet is on the wrist of a 14 year old girl, I remember what it said, “She believed and so she did!” What I know for sure is if I can run the Boston Marathon, then any woman I know including my favorite women entrepreneurs, can do anything they believe they can!

My roommate Dawn Foreman and I at the end of the race with our medals on.

Bow Hunting Atop the Trees

I didn’t climb trees when I was young mainly because the trees around my 1770’s house were very tall Maple trees, slender with only high branches, nothing reachable for a tiny girl like me. But I did fall in love with trees as I looked at them from my bedroom window, under an alcove, in my room. As a child of divorce, I felt safe somehow under them, as if they were watching out for me in their gentle, yet sturdy, way.

So as I climbed a tree at the age of 57 to bow hunt with my husband for the first time, I knew I would like it. The tall ladder leaned up nice and secure to its trunk. It was not intimidating to climb since it wasn’t as shaky as the flying trapeze ladder I ascended in February. Also I trusted my husband’s engineering style and was simply fearless about heights. I was excited to get to the top of the ladder,where a two-person seat, awaited us to perch and peer down on unsuspecting deer.

After practicing archery for three months, I was pretty confident in shooting a bow and arrow and knowing where to aim the arrow to kill the deer without injuring it. “The Kill Zone” was diagrammed on a black and white bag at the Gun and Archery Club we belonged to, with a spot for the heart, so I knew where I needed to aim if a stag or doe came within our sights.

Rising at dawn, my husband and I were up in the tree stand, quieter than mice, by 7 a.m. on a frosty 30-degree morning. We sat in darkness until the sun slowly appeared over our left shoulders awakening birds who took flight in groups heading south for the winter. It was also beautiful watching the differing shadows in the woods as the sun moved higher from the horizon, warming the atmosphere and our cold cheeks too. At last we could see what we would shoot, but hearing was as essential as seeing, to make sure you were shooting the right animal.

Three hours passed by quickly as we heard deer footsteps in the distance, tucked behind pine trees, not giving us a safe shot. But as I waited, I noticed things you’d never notice before walking in the woods – a fallen leaf pierced by a tiny stick of a tree limb floating almost in space, the varying degrees of green moss attached to most trees, the white birch paper-like- skin of other trees, and the whooshing of tall feather-like plants in the bog next to us. It was truly a delightful and sensory experience I never had before.

When we climbed down from our perch, high above the ground, knowing we’d have to succeed killing a deer on another day, I was grateful for the experience of sitting atop the trees, like I was one with nature, next to my husband who told me he loved me a bit more because I went with him on his favorite thing to do. I call that definitely a better day than bringing home a beautiful prized deer.

Get Your Fattie On - Mountain Biking!

“Get on your fattie, Tracy,” my friend Patti Giancola said to me. At first, I thought she was referencing my tush but soon looked down at the tires on the mountain bike to see they were especially fat tires. Fatties are slang for flat tire bikes used for mountain biking, and they are much larger than my regular bicycle.

I had seen these fat-tired bikes before but typically in February when I’m still riding my regular bike in Central New York being extra careful not to slide off the trails. I thought fat-tired bikes were simply winter tires that bicyclists put on in the winter to ride, similar to snow tires. I was wrong. What I also learned quickly was how bouncy they were, like riding in a car whose shocks were worn out. The bounce made the ride really interesting and extra fun.

As we set out under and over the crunchy, blaze orange-leafed trees in Green Lakes State Park since it was mid-October in Upstate New York, the surroundings were stunning. I soon noticed riding on a mountain bike meant easily being able to ride from dirt trail over stones, sideways up onto grass or over weeds, on more small stone gravel, and in fields, all without feeling the change or being nervous about falling making the terrain changes. Cool.

Although we were on mountain bikes, we weren’t in the mountains biking, but on dedicated mountain bike trails in Green Lakes State Park winding in and out of trees and up and down hills. After trying motor cross this year, I likened fat-tire biking to more of the thrill of motor cross plus the access to natural beauty like cross country skiing in the winter between trees in all of nature’s beauty. Mountain biking allows one to bike in nature, not just on a paved pathway in or around nature. It was different and really enjoyable since I’m a nature lover.

Another benefit of biking with an old client is getting a chance to catch up with them. Patti now loves the freedom of running her own Cabi business instead of her previous career in fundraising, where I first met her. Tucked in her warm house are seasonal lines of clothing to try on. So, if you want to have a party with her or go to one of her open houses, click here for more information. Who says women can’t network while biking, like men network while golfing?

I was lucky to be using Patti’s husband’s bike, since mountain bikes are much more expensive than regular bikes, but I could see why. The bikes fit in the back of big SUVs or on regular bike racks. In fact, Patti owns different bikes for different occasions so if you like regular bike riding, see if you can rent a mountain bike and give it a whirl. I think you’ll fall in love with the fattie and your own tush won’t mind the ride either.

Perfection on Ice - Check Out Curling

Envision the games of Archery and Darts, with their colored circles to pierce on a horizontal stand at a distance away from you, and put those same circles on a sheet of ice similar to a very long rectangular bowling lane, then get down in a squat position balancing yourself perfectly on a round “stone” and push the stone forward and you got Curling! Sound difficult? It was for me; the one sport so far that gave me some instant purple bruises on my knees mainly because my core wasn’t strong enough at times to not fall on the ice once I pushed the stone.

7 women gathered with me in a perfectly frozen arena, in the oldest Curling Club East of the Mississippi on an extra warm, 80-degree-day in Upstate New York to learn the sport. Curling, unlike other sports, is a team sport and not one I could learn on my own, I needed some sisters in business to join me. After learning the Club was established in 1868, the same years the 14th Amendment gave African Americans the right to vote, tells you how long this sport has been around in our region and how much people love it.

Women TIES’ Women’s Athletic Network Curling at the Utica Curling Club

Before the Utica Curling Club was housed in a beautiful indoor facility, curling was played years before 1868 on the Erie Canal and other plentiful waterways in the region. It was a statistic I had no idea of even though I was born in the Mohawk Valley area of New York State. I grew up on a lake where I ice skated or played hockey with family and friends, but never “curled a stone” down a straight line to concentric circles with team mates “sweeping” the ice in front of the stone to get it to go (aka curl) where we wanted. An engineer had to design this sport, I thought to myself after trying it. Precision, analytics, and science all played a role in creating this popular year-round activity.

Divided into teams of four, after we put on our rubber grippers over our shoes so we could stand on the ice without falling, we learned the art of placing our feet in the “hacks” to push off of, similar to a track block for forward motion. As we balanced one hand on the stone made of granite with its handle positioned where our “Skip” wanted the stone to slide down the 45 meter long, 5 meter width sheet, into the “House” or bullseye if you will, to score points or knock out competitors’ rocks to gain points to win the match.

We learned the game and competed against each other all in two hours. I wouldn’t say any of us perfected the sport since it takes between 5-6 lessons to be good but we sure gave it the ole girl’s try. Here are some of the comments from our curling team to enlighten you further:

* It was much harder than we thought it would be.
* Getting over the feeling you will slip or fall on the ice is a must to play it.
* Patience and balance is needed pushing the stone, speed is needed to sweep the stone.
* Shouting is necessary to communicate with teammates on opposite ends of the ice – so if you don’t like silence you’ll like this sport.
* There is way more thinking to this sport than other sports.
* Learning to work with a team is a benefit of this special fitness activity.

Half of the women who went with me said they’d try it again and half said they wouldn’t. I would try it again although I’m a sports girl who likes full on speed; but there is something to say about playing with others, using your brains and body at the same time, and participating in a sport that has been tested over time. I highly suggest learning more about Curling and looking into Curling Clubs in your region and find a way to try it or join a beginner’s league, which many have.

Then call me when you need a fourth person to play!

Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham - Curling

Crazy as a Loon or Long Distance Kayaking?

It was an atypical day in my city with temperatures rising to 70 degrees in mid-October. The weather was calling and a glimpse of late summer grabbed me by the arm and led me out the door to put my bright pink kayak in the car. My sons gifted their father and I a pair of kayaks for Christmas three years prior so kayaking in this story is not about my first time kayaking, but rather about my longest kayaking adventure. Sometimes we get so used to playing the sports we love, we forget to challenge ourselves while doing them.

October Day on Onondaga Lake

As the crystal blue sky and lake edged with orange, gold and crimson trees, welcomed my kayak and I one random Tuesday morning, the absolute absence of wind or other boats spoke to my heartstrings about attempting to kayak down the entirety of Onondaga Lake – 9.2 miles round trip. I often bike the 9 miles and wondered what it would be like to kayak it so for some reason with the conditions stellar, I decided to do it mid-way down my relaxing autumn row.

Destiny USA, Syracuse, NY

Unlike the Boston Marathon where I put in five training months of increased mileage to condition my body and mind to accomplish the 26.2 mile run, I hadn’t prepped kayaking ten miles on a whim. I knew I could do it because my arms were strong from archery all summer and stacking wood the past weekend so I had no trepidation in trying it out. Destiny USA sat at the south end of the lake and my bike trail weaved around it to the west. No sweat – literally - since it was a cool 55 degrees when I took off. No clouds. No threat of bad weather. No wind. Perfect sailing conditions even though I didn’t have a sail to help me just my middle-aged semi-flabby arms, the kind most women have.

Dave Matthews Band Concert - Darien Lake - 2010

I also had one other important thing with me – Dave. Dave? Yes, Dave Matthews Band serenading me along my way with some kick-ass tunes to get me rowing faster. I take Dave everywhere with me as most people know. He was in my ears running the streets of Boston and in every car ride I take to and from my new and old sports adventures. Kayaking the entire lake in silence would have felt really long, so a shout-out to my favorite musician, Dave.

Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham - mid-kayak ride

At one point on my expedition, my son called me as I oared my way near Destiny USA Mall talking about his wedding plans. I enjoyed the company on my solo journey. On the way back, loons, seagulls, and fish swooped, swam, and jumped around keeping me alert. I thought about Tom Hanks in the movie Castaway when he got so lonely on the bare island he turned to a volleyball to talk to as a friend. I must admit by the near end of my trip, I was talking to seagulls. One can’t be alone too long. It just isn’t normal.

Back at the Bridge where it all began

As usual I had some insights after my 3.5 hour, 1,300 calorie burning boating experience, I like sharing after each sports adventure to encourage more people to try them. Here is my wisdom on this sport,

* There is nothing that beats being on the water in my mind and soul.
* Kayaking is a fairly easy sport to do especially if the wind is gentle.
* Once you buy, borrow, or rent a kayak, it is an inexpensive sport to do.
* Most kayaks are light enough to lift and transport if you have a good size SUV/truck.
* Being alone for 3.5 hours on a lake with nothing around is extremely peaceful.
* If you are going to do an exercise or sport of any kind, training helps to ease the pain and set the mind for the adventure. Get in those test runs or add miles to your journey until you are ready to go for the long one!
* Nature has a way of inviting all of us to join it in sports during all its seasons, and kayaking is an exceptional way to see all of nature’s glory.

Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham

Remember YOLO – You Only Live Once - so get out there and try kayaking in all seasons with a friend, your neighborhood loon or SOLO.

The Adventures of a New Group Sport: Disc Golf

There was a wee bit of confusion as six of us walked up the steep hill to a sign announcing the map for our two hour adventure. Only one of us had ever tried the sport – my son - who only played nine holes. You might imagine with that descriptive we were about to venture onto a beautiful smooth green with a PGA approved tee box, but we weren’t. Instead, we were venturing onto a Disc Golf Course, five minutes from my home on rolling hills that surround and dot our horizon.

With bright colored discs in a carrying bag, which I purchased in anticipation for trying this new sport with my son’s fiancée and her athletic parents along with me and my husband, we wondered how to play the game. None of us actually looked up the directions until we lost two discs into the woods on the second hole. “Wait a minute,” I said to our investigative players deep in the weeds, woods and poison ivy, “I think we better see what happens when a disc goes out of bounds and read the rules.”

The Higginbothams and Pioppis in a fun game of Disc Golf - First timers

By the time we realized we had lost two new discs, we found two others with the names and numbers of their owners on them. How wise! Now we knew, we needed to do the same with ours since the game of Disc Golf is typically played near or in woods, overgrown bushes, streams, small lakes, and beautiful vistas found around every turn. The only way to tell where the next hole began was on an electronic map on my son’s phone, the white pads you stand on to throw your first disc, and eventually the iconic wired baskets (aka the holes) where you aim and eventually score to move onto the next hole.

If you like nature, hikes, scenic seasonal flowers and bushes, along with critters and bugs, you will love Disc Golf. A red bridge appeared over a quaint stream on one hole, followed by a flat, mowed, open lawn on the next, followed by a trip back into the woods in the middle of tall trees. It is an adventure of sorts and we all thought that was pretty cool. We only wished we brought bug spray, water, more discs (yes we lost a few more), and sweat rags to wipe our brow by the time we were done. All in all, we burned close to 700 calories each in a span of 9 holes and each couple scored the same score.

Here are some of the comments from my guests regarding Disc Golf:

* It is harder than they thought.
* They wondered if it was easier to play in snow?
* Shorter holes are much easier than the longer ones
* It was very scenic.
* It was aerobic and used many muscles.
* It is not as frustrating as real golf.
* It is less expensive than golf with no course fees and only the need for discs.

So if you are looking for a new kind of sporting adventure and you have “adventurous” friends willing to try, we all recommend Disc Golf complete with colorful discs, a carrying bag/backpack to carry everything, bug spray, water, camera, and a healthy sense of sporting fun.

Dill or Sweet? It’s Pickleball Time

All my new female friends found on the Lysander Parks PickleBall Court

On a cool early fall evening I met a friend with an addiction (her words, not mine) to Pickle ball. I didn’t have to choose between a dill or sweet pickle ball, just needed to show up in relaxed pants, tennis shoes, and a comfortable top to move around in. In fact, the pickle ball was more like a wiffle ball, yellow with holes in it, lighter than a tennis ball and not as bouncy.

The fact that LeBron James with two other NBA stars had just purchased a Major League Pickle ball (MLP) expansion franchise, as the competition grows from 12 to 16 teams, made trying Pickle ball an interesting prospect. MLP founder Steve Kuhn stated, “Pickle ball is the fastest growing sport in the country and our goal is to reach 40 million pickle ball players by 2030.” As of 2021, 4.8 million Americans now play the sport.

What you haven’t heard about this sport yet? It started in 1965 when two dads named Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell had bored families at home so they used an old badminton court, spare ping pong paddles, and a wiffle ball to create a game. Two years later Pritchard constructed the first pickle ball court in his backyard. The game gained steam in the Pacific Northwest where the men lived and here it is today as the fastest growing sport.

As a long time tennis player, I felt pretty comfortable trying it out. The main adjustments were the shorter racket with its harder surface (no strings) and lack of a bounce from the balls opposed to tennis balls. The courts are shorter and thinner than tennis courts. Typically every court is taken where we played, but we got there early enough to snag a court and by the end of the night we were using two courts.

My friend and Pickleball Teacher - Kathleen Komar and Me

Pickle ball is FUN! I liken it to a cross between ping pong and tennis with the speed and volleying of ping pong with the set up like tennis. It is a very social sport since players talk through the game, often times giving compliments for good shots – or maybe they were being nice to me on my first attempt. Because people wait for courts to open, if there is a twosome playing, they’ll invite another twosome to join them since the game is more fun with four players. So in the course of the evening, I met and played with five other new people besides my friend. Most of them were two-week old beginners of the game, and admitted to be addicted like my friend Kathleen who brought me there.

My Fitbit told me I burned 900 calories during the multiple match sets, and I wasn’t sore. My cheeks were pink from the cool air, my body warm, and my spirit glowing like the yellow balls and setting sun which eventually kicked us off the courts. Could we play longer, sure could, because it is addictive, but at last all good things come to an end sometime.

I highly recommend finding out more about the sport. The paddles are around $60. Courts are being established as the game grows, but my friend plays it sometimes in her driveway with a portable net. It is affordable, fun, social, and calorie-burning. What more could you ask for in a new sport to try?