Katie wants to get back into running shape.
Katie Przyszlak doesn’t mess around. Come May, she plans to run a half-marathon in Wisconsin.
The Schaumburg woman wants to lose about 60 pounds in the next three months — and she couldn’t be more ready for the challenge. “When I have something I want, I definitely go after it, and I do whatever it takes to win,” she says. “I’m ready for them to kick my butt.”
At 5 feet, 7 inches and 266 pounds, the 32-year-old middle-school teacher says she’s fallen off track health-wise after getting married two years ago and having her first baby six months ago. After her maternity leave, she found it hard to adjust to working full time and making fitness a priority. She was too busy to eat during the day and would return home, starving. “Ever since I had my daughter, I’ve really struggled to get back on track,” she says. “I know I need to be there. This will be the perfect motivation, and there won’t be any excuses as to why I won’t be there.”
The former high school and college athlete says she has always struggled with her weight and knows it’s time for a new approach. “I need someone else to hold me accountable,” she says.
While nervous about her ability to manage work, family and the challenge, she has no doubt the juggling act will ultimately be worth it — particularly because she and her husband hope to someday expand their unit. “In the long run, I know it’s best for my whole family for me to be healthy,” she says.