My next guest is Teresa Teuscher, a trainer and empowering force for those of us living with scoliosis. I plan on training with her at some point and can’t wait to meet in person (I’m already planning a trip to NYC). She invited me to speak on her podcast, and we connected instantly with two very similar life journeys with scoliosis. She is such an inspiration to me and I’m honored she shared her story.

Teresa was diagnosed with scoliosis over 30 years ago and spent time in two different braces, one of which leaving a permanent scar on her chest. In her case, bracing proved to be ineffective and she ultimately required surgery. In her words, “This was & remains a dark place in my life. The trauma of having what felt like my life being taken away. I was a dancer… Surgery terminated any potential I would have of pursuing that.”

She found a different way to dance and enjoy moving her body. She started to pursue a career as a personal trainer at 40 and discovered mace training, or Gada. Once she learned how to safely train with the mace, it has taken her strength, and that of her clients, to a whole new level. She tells me, she feels limitless, almost like she’s dancing again.

Her clients love the empowerment they find in mace training. Particularly those with spinal fusion, she has heard consistently that they cannot imagine how weak they were and how great it is to move again.

In closing, I asked her what her favorite thing was about the mace. She tells me, “I train with the mace because it brings me back to a place where I had freedom of movement without limitations.”

To learn more about Teresa and mace training, tune in to her scoliosis podcast, check out her website or follow her on Instagram.