Her Story

Because nothing motivates us to stay healthy more than meeting other athletic women who do it all, Her Sports brings you the stories of women just like you. If they can do it, so can you!

Name: Julie Rodriguez

Sports: Mountaineering, cycling, mountain biking, rock/ice climbing, kayaking, skiing and snowboarding

Age: 37

Occupation: Marketing designer

Where I live and play: Collinsville, Conn.

Marital status: Single

Kids? Derek, age 10, and Kendra, age 9

First love: Weightlifting

Favorite place to be active: The Cordillera Blanca mountains of Peru

Role model and why: Mary Lou Retton. Way back when I was a muscle-bound teen trying desperately to fit into the tight designer jeans all my friends were wearing (Anyone remember Sergio Valente?), she made it feel cool to have big, strong thighs. Thanks, Mary Lou!

Ideal active weekend: Stuffing as much gear as I can fit into my Jeep with the kids and heading to the White Mountains for skiing, climbing, camping and feasting at the all-you-can-eat, family-style dinner at Pinkham Notch Lodge.

Proudest active moment: Taking those last few exhausting steps to the summit of Denali.

Best training tip: Stay strong. If you keep visiting the weight room, even when you'd rather be doing anything else, you'll reduce the chance for injury when you're doing something that's really fun.

Gear I can't live without: Anything made of Lycra—the fabric of goddesses.

Favorite pre-workout/race meal: Sashimi—yes, even for breakfast. The rice gives me the carbs I need, the soy sauce, the salt. But it doesn't load me down.

Sport I'd most like to try: Kiteboarding on snow.

When I'm not mountaineering, cycling, skiing and snowboarding, I'm: Taking my kids out into the woods to hike and camp, reading and drinking way too much coffee.