About me….
Hmm…who am I?
Who am I to others?
Who do I want to be?
Who has God created me to be??
Filling in this section takes a lot more thought than I’d planned, but I’ll try to sum it up so that you can get to know me a little better.
First off, HELLO! Thank you for taking time to join me on this chapter in life and this journey on the World Race! I am so excited that God lead me down this path and can’t wait to see what He reveals in this 11 months to come!
But let’s back up a little….
My name is Tawana Tsvia Jackson-but I’m mostly known as “Tee”. I was raised in the coastal town of Swansboro, NC with my mother and older brother. Growing up, my mom was a unshakably faith-filled and independent woman. She was my role model for everything in life and I wanted to love and strive for things just as hard as she did. I grew up with a determination to “always defy the stereotypes” that were placed on lower socioeconomic, single-parent, african american women in my area. So I always strived for more. I grew up going to church, went to teen bible study, and knew of God, but when it came to getting things done, I always relied on myself. I planned to conquer things that I concluded would make me ‘successful’, so I got a job at 14, played all the sports, and took all the ‘hard classes’. To me, being successful in life was the definition of living it. I thought I had it all figured out.
I went to college with this same mentality. Do right, be nice, and be successful. I got a job as an orientation leader, a resident assistant, and a housing a residence life worker to help pay for school. I took up dance and multiple club sports to stay active and make friends, and I planned out all of my classes in a way that would set me up for grad school. Again, I thought I had it all planned out and that I was excelling in life. I also thought I had a relationship with God because I still attended church on Sundays.
**It should be noted that I’m soon about to learn that totally relying on myself was NOT the definition of having it all figured out–so keep reading**
After college, I got into grad school to earn my Doctorate in Physical Therapy! I had defied the stereotype that was expected of me! I was on track with how I had planned out my life and (although I had some bumps along the way) nothing could bring me down right? WRONG! I finished grad school in Hampton, Virginia and moved back to North Carolina to start studying for my board exams. It was during this time where I learned that life doesn’t always go as planned…
During this time, my mom was diagnosed with late stage 3 breast cancer. The life plan that I so firmly had a hold of was SHATTERED INSTANTLY. It was during this time when I truly formed a raw and real relationship with God. I was angry, confused, numb, out of my element, and helpless. I had no strength to rely on myself. My mom stayed a rock of faith throughout the entire journey. She passed April 8th, 2014 still with complete and unshakable faith.
My life and faith on the other hand, took quite a few turns before it could be deemed “unshakable”.
I’ll sum it up: I failed my board exam (multiple times). I stopped studying and started cleaning houses. I was in and out of church but developed a church community. I eventually started working at a trampoline park and that is the place where opportunities started to arise. I got to take a trip to Hawaii with my brother and I was blessed with the opportunity to be on two television shows: Spartan Ultimate Team Challenge and American Ninja Warrior. These shows not only helped me to begin to cope in positive physical ways, they also led to gaining a strong community of christian athlete friends! I went through incredible highs. In those happy moments, my thanks and relationship with God grew. But behind the smiles and good times, I also went through tremendously dark and depressed lows. It was in those moments when I wouldn’t allow God in to heal me. I was learning to live again, but I was not truly healing and I was still struggling to find my path and purpose in life.
That is when a friend recommended the World Race! Since applying and being accepted, I have faced the hard times head on. It has not been easy, but I have opened my heart up to God completely, and I have invited Him in to work on me. This opportunity has blessed me with growth and a newfound love of God. I am praying that I might be able to help be the same to someone else in these 11 months to come!
So there you have it! The looooong story (kind of shortened) of my life! I hope that did the About Me section justice. To learn more about my journey ahead, stay tuned for my blogs!
Thank you so much for getting to know me! I hope that I can live a life that is satisfying to the one who created me.
God Bless <3
