Walking the Runway for Husker Greats

About a month ago I received a phone call about being in a fashion show to help raise funds for the  Husker Greats Foundation. They raise money for former athletes in their time of medical need.
  Number one, I was excited to help my Husker family, number two was excited to do another runway show. If anyone knows me well, I am actually a HUGE Project Runway fan!

  The runway show featured accomplished former female student-athletes and we had some time to chat beforehand about life, family and the Husker Greats Program. The event was well attended and we even had two Heisman Trophy winners in attendance. That is one of the great things about Nebraska in general, it is a sporty state and people love all things Husker!

   As we got ready, our outfits were picked out for us and we donned our garments, prepped with hair and makeup and got ready with a lineup posted backstage. The picture below has a snapshot of the lineup in the top right corner and a few candid shots.

  The show was certainly fun, but the funniest part was the amount of nerves backstage. You would think with all of these female student-athletes who have competed for national championships, won national awards, played in the pros, etc....nerves would be a thing of the wayside....not so! I admittingly got wobbly in my knees to before hitting the runway as well.

Below is the picture before everyone came to their seats and we were lining up doing final preps (tell each other how fabulous we look, checking teeth for imaginary things we thought were stuck...you know, the normal things ladies do)

Some of the runway looks from Christian Noble

  At the end of the night, it was great to connect with our Husker Family and help raise much needed medical funds for former athletes.  I am always grateful to have made the decision to come from San Diego to be a Husker at Nebraska. GBR

 The picture below is of the featured former student-athletes who came from all over the country to participate and the owner of Christian Noble Furs who was the hub of putting the event together. Lovely group for a great cause!

Your Mrs. Great Plains International 2014,
Maggi

How to train for the Worlds Toughest Mudder (and throw on a pair of heels after!)

As the Worlds Toughest Mudder competition approaches, my biggest point of preparation has been my mind. There is only a point that you can take your body before your mental mindset needs to become stronger.

Before getting in to a few tips, I want to share a moment from the weekend that was super exciting for me...I got to meet Juliana Sproles, the very first female Worlds Toughest Mudder Champion! The below picture was taken post race. She was kind enough to share some tips with me for what it takes to last through the Toughest Mudder. She is truly amazing :)

When your body will physically want to give up and you have to be your biggest cheerleader each and every step of the way, your mind better be tough. Toughest Mudder has a rule of no music, etc while running in the 24 hour competition (among many other strict rules) So how am I getting my ready to compete there?

1. Any time I am in a car alone, NO music is playing. You have to have the ability to basically entertain yourself during a repetitive action that can be mind numbing if you allow it. This weekend I traveled to a few states and spent several long hours in the car. I played one CD at one point and that was only because it was a gift from Singer Tiffany Johnson who is donating 100% of her CD sales to soles4souls. It was a great CD!!
2. Even though I am fairly used to sleep deprivation (how else can I get so much done :), I have increased it. When traveling I chose to not stay in hotels 2 of the 3 nights to force myself to keep going and be able to perform while physically and mentally exhausted. After landing back in Omaha, I had to go speak right away to a room full of contractors and am pleased to say my mental acuity was in tact (There was lots of good feedback to verify it really was and I am not purely delusional that the presentation was great!)
3. Eat right! For our family, this is a given whether it is the worlds toughest mudder or just living life. With Heart Disease as the number one killer for women and heart disease running in my husbands family, we just focus on a balanced meal plan and stay consistent. 
4. Train with intention. I don't want to wait for race day and the decide to push my hardest, just like when we ran track in college, we laid it on the line daily.  

A sample workout is as follows:

• 4 mile run 8 mile pace in full wet suit
• 800 yards of lake crawls full submerged
• 30 fences hops
• 30 fence ducks
• 10 50 yard hill runs

This either has you excited to run in a obstacle race someday or terrified. I would suggest you try it at least once, it is such a great way to conquer fears and challenge yourself to see what you are really made of!

A few highlights from last weekends spartan race:

Top 3 finishers make and females Spartan Elite Heat

Our son Charlie ran in the Kids Spartan race

They even had a sign that said Never Give Up!

Have a great weekend and thank you for sharing this journey!
Your Mrs. Great Plains International 2014
Maggi

Every Day Matters...

A few years ago our church started a "Decade on Purpose" effort to focus on intentional living and making each day matter by living out what God has put before you.

This week's blog will vary into our family side of things. You may notice that we do not post much about our children on social media and this is a personal family decision we agreed on a few years ago. We are ok with the occasional post, but it is pretty limited. With this said, we wanted to give you a peek into our family life this week inspired by our Church's sermon on Sunday :)

One of our favorite things to do as a family is simple, just be together. It doesn't need to be anything special or anywhere special, we just love to get cozy and laugh.

Our girls room is FULL of dress up clothes. We have more princess dress's than we know what to do with. This can be crazy for me sometimes as someone who grew up with brothers and was always getting their hand me down toys like matchbox cars and transformers. I still do my best and we play barbie, paint nails, curl hair and wouldn't you believe it I let the girls (and Charlie) even do my makeup. One time I forgot they did my makeup and left the house with it on....oh boy was that day special!

Charlie's room we are usually lucky if we can see the floor. He likes dress up too, but on the end of Ninja's, Darth Vader and Transformers. As he get's more in to sports, shin guards and cleats are capturing some floor space as well.

As we went to the park the other day and we were playing chase (aka Tag) I tried to capture some of the moments of our laughing and smiling.

It would be fair to say Charlie is a total mommy's boy and Fiona is a Daddy's girl. Ellie is at the age where it is whoever is convenient at that time :)

As I think about making each day matter I am motivated to inspire others around the world...but God is very quick to remind me that it starts at home with our family. Do I fail some days...yes. Does Fred fail some days...yes. But number one rule in the Thorne house...show Grace.

For us, making each day matter at home is about showing our kids God's love for them by the way treat them and our intentional family time. 

Is our life just plain nuts some times...oh yes. Would we have it any other way? NO WAY! I am grateful for a God who would entrust me to be a parent...now I just need to make EVERY DAY Matter.


To find out more about a Every Day Matters, visit Every Day Matters
From this link, you can also get the 1 second every day app to help capture life's memories :)
Enjoy!

Warmly,
  Your Mrs. Great Plains International 2014
Maggi

The Tough Mudder Experience

First and foremost before the tough mudder experience, I want to introduce you to a great organization I am so excited about I feel like getting out there and running right this instant!! If you are anxious, here is the link to their website: http://www.girlsontherun.org/

The other weekend was what started out to be what I thought would be a once (emphasize the "one time") in a lifetime experience competing in the Tough Mudder race. I walked away (slightly limping) from Tough Mudder in Kansas more motivated than ever though to run races that are longer than 5k and challenge myself more than ever thought possible. The dots really connected for me though when going over obstacles on the race course and I think about all of the obstacles in life young women can face. I was fueled with energy thinking about Girls on the Run International and how after all of these years of running, to meet such a wonderful cause was a blessing.

One item of note in case you were ever curious, false eyelashses can survive a 12 mile obstacle course race!

The Tough Mudder went well and I was able to win the UnderArmour #IWILL challenge. In light of this experience, the opportunity arose to compete in the Worlds Toughest Mudder, the world championship race with runners from all over the world. It is a 24 hour race from noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday with each competitor charged with the task of competing as many laps as possible, each "lap" being 10 miles with obstacles.  Honestly, I have lots of fears when I think about the race, so I just try not to focus on the race itself, but the preparation leading to it. If I prepare right, the race will take care of itself and a charity will get great visibility. Prayers for my body to stay healthy as I pick up my current training load would be great, thank you!

Pre-race

Our race numbers were written on our foreheads

Post- race

Warm Regards,

Maggi

Your Mrs. Great Plains International 2014

Living Your Dreams

Have you ever had a dream that you thought was impossible or far fetched?

  I am excited this week to see my college roommate and teammate Jessie Graff being spotlighted in her career of a Hollywood Stunt woman on "CBS This Morning". Since she was little she wanted to be an action hero and she has not only achieved her dream, but is loving every minute. When we were in college, we watched the show Alias constantly and had many action packed adventures.She even talked me in to climbing a 50 feet tree (which she also had a to talk me down because I was scared after hanging out on a limb!)

  This week she was featured on CBS this morning about a recent clip she made on YouTube which has now reached over a million views! She wrote and produce the video based on a Family Guy parody.

Link to Video and article on video

CBS Interview

  In college sometimes people thought Jessie was crazy or off the wall for her constant "stunts" whether jumping on moving trains or practicing crashing, but when I think about how focused she always remained and how much effort day and night she put into her dreams, to see her succeeded as a Hollywood Stunt woman is so exciting.

  Recently Jessie visited Nebraska and we were able to spend the weekend together. We talked goals and life followed up by a good body whipping workout. She took me through a stunt woman workout and I was aching for days afterwords! I did get to run her through a workout of my own, so I think we ended up even.

The above is our picture from her trip in one of our body balancing poses from way back when. When we were in college we performed all over Lincoln body balancing acts.
Below is our picture from college after a performance. I am just glad after having 3 kids I can still lift another human being up on my shoulders :)

  So, we may not all have dreams of jumping through windows from tall buildings and crashing motorcycles on movie sets, but we do all have dreams and goals. We have all heard nothing is impossible, but do we believe it? Maybe it is opening a business, a large community effort, inventing something..or even competing in a pageant to change lives;)
   Whatever it is, you CAN achieve it. Will it take time and effort...Yes. Will there he hardship...most likely. Final question....Will it be worth it....Absolutely, every minute of it. If you know you are made to do something and your heart longs to achieve that dream....don't wait. If you listen to Jessie's interview on CBS, there is a key sentence for me...she highlighted that she loves what she does.

I leave you with a quote today from a great athlete that I am sure all will recognize...

Jessie's full Hollywood Stunt Bio can be found here: www.jessiegraff.com

Workout Tip:
   Just like you would write down your dreams, write down your workout goals. Make copies of them and keep them in multiple locations. Anytime you want to relax off of them, take them out for a quick reminder of the path you drew out and keep trucking!

Have a great week!
 Warm Regards,
Maggi
Mrs. Great Plains International 2014

Meeting a President

First, I an delighted and ecstatic to share some new with you...if you have drums near by, this warrants a drum roll (a desk and two pencils will work as well!)  Next year my family and I will be heading to Jacksonville, FL to compete for the title of Mrs. International 2014 as Mrs. Great Plains International 2014!!! Let the happy dance commence. This is possible with everyone who has been so encouraging, the International Pageant Family and Mary Richardson. This is a tremendous opportunity and over the coming weeks I will be sharing Team Thorne's new goals. Our family has recently faced some difficulties and it really shaped my direction in life. I reached a point of sheer mental exhaustion from the overwhelming emotions. I am now rested, the matter resolved and God reminded me that He made me with the will to Never Give Up!

On to the updates friends and I am glad to be writing to you again! I hope the start of your fall is lovely:)

Recently I had the honor of meeting a president. A woman president! Stacey D. Stewart, President of the United Way USA was in Lincoln to speak to a large captive audience and even had a chance to visit a few places in Lincoln and learn about our great city. She spoke about community challenge and the heart of a community can start with one person. We cannot wait for government to bring change, be active and be involved. I am sure everyone in the room walked away motivated to serve and connect with all around us.

After she spoke to the audience, we were able to connect and discuss opportunities for partnerships and one of my favorite topics....running! Stacey has a beautiful heart to serve others and it was amazing to get the opportunity to share my background story, and hear her's and what her passion's are. She has two daughters as well and we discussed the importance of being encouraging and re-affirming to not only our girls, but girls all over the country. This piece of information is important as you will see in upcoming blog's. United Way is a great organization and with a woman like Stacey and her excellent leadership, there are many great things to come and lives to be changed.

Stacey D Stewart Bio 

Husker fans and sports fans all over the Great Plains, enjoy your weekend!

Warm Regards,

  Maggi

Your Mrs. Great Plains International 2014

Builder of Buildings

This entry is dedicated the builder of buildings side of my life I have been entrusted with for the past 8 years after finishing my athletic career as a Nebraska Husker Trackster. Transitioning from Hurdles on the track to Hurdles on the job site was not an overnight transition. This week in time with all of our facility grand openings represents what has been a culmination of hours, days and years of extremely intense work, sacrifice, focus and the will to Never Give Up. 

 Starting out as a student worker, my primary role was labor work such as cleaning suites, seats and sod. I did everything from pick weeds on the track, vacuum suites to wiping down every last bleacher in the stadium. Some may not look at that role as an opportunity worth while, but I did due to being able to work in every athletic facility we had, meet most of our staff, learn what worked and didn't work about the buildings and get lots of hands on experience moving tables, chairs, hanging pictures...you name it, day in and day out. As Frank Llyod Wright said, "You learn by Doing". 

    It offered a completely different perspective on our facilities and I soaked in all of the knowledge possible. One day Boyd Epley (founder of the National Strength and Conditioning Association) asked me if I would ever work in an office job. At the time I told him flat out "No Way" and that "I didn't like dressing up and wanted to live out my days in shorts, sweats and sneakers as a personal trainer and nutritionist". HA... and HA again. I remember this moment in time often when we had that discussion down to where we were standing, what and who was around us...every last detail. Once of those moments that imprints on your mind. I am thankful Boyd saw in me what I was not able to at that time. He believed in me and gave me the one thing I can only ever ask of anyone...He gave me a CHANCE. He would throw projects my way sometimes just to teach me indirectly, and some to see what capabilities I had been given. What he saw was drive and a love for the Huskers. 
 

Photo courtesy www.boydepley.com

  Since starting as an employee for NU, if I didn't know it, I didn't sleep until I did. That is the grace given to me from God, the ability to outlast and endure. Leading up to the opening of any building you find yourself sleepless and almost pacing making sure you have every last detail covered as much as possible. After all, this will be a team or staff's new home for many years to come. The Student Life Complex we opened in 2009 and Hendricks Training Complex in 2011 seem like a picnic compared to these last couple weeks.  Our team has been working literally days at a time focusing on the enormity of projects opening all at once along with the multiple events leading up to it. This is a very unique time in Nebraska History (and I am thankful to be a part of it).

   I would like to thank our Capital Planning and Construction Team, Juanita Carstens, Linda Ybarra, Diane Nietfeldt and the crew who left sleep in the dust, Chynna Hardy, Ben Huenemann and Brad Isham. A big thanks to the person who has been my boss for the last 7 years, Associate Athletic Director John Ingram for allowing me the opportunity to have such deep involvement in all of our projects and for his leadership while always working with integrity.

   My most important thanks to my husband Fred and kids who after a spring and summer of intense pageant involvement and continuing my work load simultaneously allowed me to continue at 500% to finish out these major construction projects over this last month. He has stood by my side since I started my career in athletics and been more supportive than I could lever pray for in everything I do. I know many may not understand the choices we make and sacrifices we commit to as a family, but we know we are living our calling and until God gives us further notice, it is full steam ahead friends!

  Fred has reminded me though calling him "Mr. Mom" is not ideal, so if anyone has a great catch phrase for my awesome husband, let me know. I am sure he would appreciate it!
  
  I could write for eons about building projects, but to close out, Never Give Up on any job dream (or ANY dream) you have and also be willing to live outside of your comfort zone so you don't miss an opportunity. Your dreams are waiting to be built, but no one will help you build them unless you start the project first.

Pictures from the East Stadium Grand Opening:

Left to right pictured is John Sampson, Regent Pat Clare, Governer Dave Heinemann, President James B. Milliken, NU Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst, Tom Osborne and Chancellor Harvey Perlman

The media and invited guests watching

The ribbon cutting inside for the Nebraska Athletic Performance Laboratory and the Center for Brain Biology and Behavior. Facilities that are the first of their kind in athletics!

The Moment After the Ribbon Cutting

My husband Fred and I after the ribbon cuttings

Additional links from Media :
Fox Sports
Sports Illustrated
NY Times
YAHOO Sports
Sports Business Daily
NBC News
San Francisco Chronicle
Rivals.com
The Independent
WOWT
UNL Today
Omaha World Herald
Big Red Today
Huskers.com Randy York Insider

Devaney Center Improvement Project Remodel:

Panoramic view from concourse level

A very special moment when Head Coach John Cook did a surprise introduction in front of the 8,000 + fans

The tunnel walk as the team heads out to the court

Our "standard" custom locker complete with Microsoft surface tablets

Inside the volleyball girls locker room

Two down...last grand opening tonight. If you live in Lincoln, remember this time as it will most likely never occur for many years with such a trifecta of facilities occurring at one time. For Husker Nation, Go Big Red!

Warmly,
Maggi Thorne
This week signing off as the builder of buildings...
Assistant Director of Capital Planning and Construction