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SALT LAKE CITY — In August 2014, KSL.com brought you the story about a mom who ran 9 miles to the hospital to deliver her fourth child.
Now, that mother is once again on the move with all four of her children in tow, but this time in an RV that will take them on what she and her husband are calling a “FitFam Adventure” across the lower 48 states for the next six to eight months.
Ashley Paulson, who is a professional triathlete, and her husband, Matt Paulson, were sitting together one night discussing what they were going to do once the lease on their home was up.
“We’d thought about heading out on the road before, but never did anything about it,” Ashley Paulson said. “But, when we looked at our life, we had nothing tying us down. Matt works remotely with his athletic apparel company, HYLETE, our twin daughters have another year before they go to high school, and the younger two are just along for the ride. We had nothing stopping us, so we looked at each other and said, ‘We’ll never have this opportunity again! I guess we’re going to end up in an RV!’”
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Ashley Paulson of Orem woke up bright and early Aug. 16 just like she had thousands of times before to head out for a morning run.So, on July 25, the Paulsons packed up their newly acquired RV that they affectionately named “Harvey,” and hit the road for their FitFam Adventure.
But it isn’t just physical fitness that the Paulson's plan to focus on while traveling the country, Ashley Paulson was quick to say.
“We want to find a balance in how we teach our children to be fit,” she said.
The couple has developed what they call their three pillars of a fit family:
- Physical fitness through exercise and healthy eating (nutrition)
- Mental fitness through education and constant, never-ending learning
- Spiritual fitness through faith and service to others.
The Paulsons said they plan on using this model as a foundation when they home-school their children.
Having been home-schooled as a child, Ashley Paulson is aware of the challenges that come with taking on all the teaching reins, but she also knows that great things can come from it, too.
While learning will be abundant during their time on the road, the fact still remains that the fit mom in the family is a pro triathlete, and will be hitting a handful of races along the way. On July 30, Ashley Paulson was able to run away with a second-place finish in her first race as a pro at the Vineman Ironman in Windsor, California.
“I love racing, and we will try to hit as many races as we can,” Ashley Paulson said. “But that’s not what this is about. If I get to the races, I will. If not, that’s OK, too. The purpose of this adventure is to have experiences that we can share with our children and with others.”
If you want to follow the Paulsons' FitFam Adventures, they have set up an Instagram account.
