WOMEN INSPIRED | Neera Patel Shares on Opening Her Own Fitness Facility this Past May
- Glancer Magazine
- Jul 31, 2021
- 2 min read
HARDWORKING WOMAN TO KNOW
NAPERVILLE–With goals of becoming the healthiest version of herself while finding ways to improve her mental clarity, manage stress better, and find comfort in slowing down and spending time with her amazing family and friends, 9-year Lisle resident Neera Patel opened Naperville’s Eat the Frog Fitness in May 2021.
“The term Eat the Frog stems from a Mark Twain saying, eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen in your day,” Neera says. “To so many people, our frog is fitness, or it may be a really big presentation at work, or a tough project to complete… no matter what your ‘frog’ is, tackle in head on, you won’t regret it and you will be better for it!”
Neera wants to be an example for her children (ages 5 and 8) that women can do anything, and it’s all about working hard, showing up every day and believing in yourself.
“I not only want my daughter to see that anything is possible, I want my son to embrace this and be encouraging to females around him as he grows up,” she adds.
Finding comfort in saying “No” and creating boundaries for the things that are not directly improving her personal and professional life while take caring of herself has allowed Neera to be more present and accommodate the demands that each day brings between kids, family, and work. She also appreciates volunteering for PTA events, family bike rides, nature, and exploring new restaurants and cuisine; however, puzzles and Netflix are her ultimate decompression tool when she truly needs to escape her very fast pace daily routine.
“I believe it was Mark Twain who also quoted, ‘the only way to get ahead, is to get started’,” Neera says. “As women, we face so many stereotypes and obstacles in life, and while it’s easy to feel defeated and give up. We must play our part in breaking down those barriers, leveling the playing field and take control of our journey, create our own story, and continue to move forward.”
-Kristen Kucharski
Photos by Mike Catuara
Copyright 2021-Glancer Magazine, Inc.
