Embracing Challenges: The Gift of Adversity in 2024

Coach Jackie shares why 2024 became her “SmackDown year” and how adversity brought unexpected gifts. After she and her husband paused their nomadic RV life in Gypsum, Colorado, she returned to New Jersey when her stepmom was hospitalized and she learned her dad had early-onset dementia. Jackie became his primary caretaker for two months, learned she couldn’t do it alone, and ultimately helped place him in memory care. She also returned to advocate for her stepmom’s care, helped and witnessed her shift from control to surrender before she passed in November 2024. Jackie then supported her stepdaughter through a surgery after being hit head on the evening of our wedding. Spending 8–9 months away from home helped her deepen her marriage and reinforced her mission to help wom ...