seattle seahawks coach’s wife,
former miss iowa usa &
former iowa hawkeye cheerleader,
rebecca donatell
I would love to introduce you to one of my great friends, Rebecca. She has quite the resume and always stays so fit! She is a 3rd grade teacher and a coach’s wife, so she has her hands full and still finds the time to maintain a healthy lifestyle. (Bonus: She’s a sweetheart. Just to show you how sweet and bubbly her personality is, she won Miss Congeniality in Miss USA 2012! So basically we are interviewing Sandra Bullock…) Without further ado, let’s pick her brain!
Q: How do you stay so fit in your daily life now?
A: Exercising is fun for me. I go to the gym three times a week to run, lift, and stretch. I usually get in a hike or long walk on the weekends as well.
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
Q: What are your favorite go-to workout moves?
A: Squats, lunges, and pull ups!
Q: How many days a week do you workout?
A: I work out three days a week and do one active outdoor activity on the weekend- usually a run or hike with Geno, our dog.
Q: How do you motivate yourself to exercise after a long day of teaching?
A: For me, exercise is my stress reliever. After a long day of teaching I can’t wait to get to the gym. If I don’t get my workouts in I notice how my patience and demeanor changes in the classroom.
“Stretching is a great way to cool down and makes me feel in tune with my body.”
Q: Do you have a specific routine you stick to?
A: Monday- Cardio, Lower Body
Tuesday- Cardio, Upper Body
Wednesday- Teach Gymnastics Class
Thursday- Cardio, Lower Body, Abs
Saturday- Hike or Run
Q: What’s your favorite exercise and why?
A: I love to stretch! At the end of every workout I spend at least 10 minutes stretching on the mat. Stretching is a great way to cool down and makes me feel in tune with my body. I know what’s tight, where I’m weak, and where I’m improving.
“it is important to FIERCELY be yourself because there is no one else in the world that is like you.”
Q: What is your favorite healthy snack?
A: Recently, my husband and I watched the documentary; “Fed Up” and it changed our lives! It’s about the amount of sugar we consume and how this affects our health. I used to eat a sugar loaded granola bar for my break everyday but after watching the documentary I switched to eating carrots!
Q: What’s the biggest lesson you learned competing in Miss USA?
A: Being Miss Iowa USA and going to Miss USA was such an unforgettable experience! I had the opportunity to volunteer at ample organizations, participate in fundraisers, learn about the fashion and entertainment industry, travel the US, and meet 49 amazing women. I wouldn’t trade my experience for the world. However, the experience did change me. Being a public figure was not easy for me. I dreaded going on the internet and social media, fearful of another hurtful comment about my body, my face, or my personality. Comments and articles from people that didn’t even know me! At first I was crushed when I read these awful comments and became very self conscientious of my “flaws.” But after discussing it with the people who care about me I realized that it was just that, these people DIDN’T know me. I realized that their opinions were NOT opinions that I should value. Through this experience I learned that it is important to FIERCELY be yourself because there is no one else in the world that is like you. I think Bernard Baruch said it best, “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
Q: What do you wish fans knew about daily coaching sacrifices?
A: I wish fans understood that being a coach and a coach’s wife is not all what it is cracked up to be. I had someone say to me, “What a perfect life!” But it’s all perception of what a “Perfect life” means to you. Sure, coaching has great benefits like getting great seats to watch football games, traveling, and the lifelong friends you get to meet on each coaching staff. But like all professions, there are some downfalls. During the season I rarely get to see my husband! Some days he works from 6 am- 12 am! Another downfall, we move a lot, I have moved 3 times in the last 4 years! This is hard for me because I have career goals and dreams of my own and these are hard to achieve when I can’t plant roots somewhere! Last but not least, coaching is a very public profession. Coaches are frequently blamed for game losses or poor performance and it is hard to not get defensive when others are talking poorly about your spouse. Being a coach’s wife has been a challenging yet, amazing experience for me. At the end of the day, even with some of the hardships, I love that my husband loves his job and I would never ask him or want him to do anything else. We live a crazy, exciting, life and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
BONUS BEAUTY QUESTION!
Q: What’s your favorite beauty trick you learned from cheerleading or the pageant life?
A: To heat up my eyelash curler with the blow dryer before curling my lashes! They curl better and stay curled longer!
