Dossier
Name: Mary Ann
Codename: Excitebike
Alias: mom…mommy…Mare Bear
Interests/hobbies: bike riding…spending time with the family
Pet Peeve: uniformity
Fears: something happening to her kids
Favorite movies: Good Will Hunting
Favorite dessert: key lime pie
Dream vacation: the Virgin Islands…hiking through the mountains…Banff National Park
Biography
Mary Ann was born and raised in Oklahoma. She lived her childhood in South Oklahoma City. Then moved to Northern Oklahoma city in her 20’s and now resides in another suburb of Oklahoma.
When Mary Ann was in her early teens, she was injured in a car accident. Not only was she thrown out of the van she was riding in, but it also rolled over her. She spent a month in the hospital recovering and had to use a wheelchair for some time.
As a result, she doesn’t take her body for granted but makes sure she keeps it healthy. Not only is she an avid bike rider but she has run in several races, including completing a half marathon. A truly remarkable accomplishment for someone who was told she would never be able to walk again after her car accident.
Career
Mary Ann is going back to college to pursue a degree in psychology. She will be graduating with her BS (Bachelor of Science) in Family Studies next year. After which, she will pursue her master’s degree in Counseling Psychology.
For 12 years now, she’s also been the owner and photographer at Photography by Mary Ann. Lately she’s been stepping back from photography to focus on finishing her degree.
Fun Fact
After dating for 2 ½ years, Mary Ann and her husband eloped two weeks after they got engaged.
It was Mary Ann’s husband who planned the entire wedding. The only details Mary Ann took care of were her dress and the flowers.
The dress she ordered online a few days before the wedding. As for the flowers, she brought that and some ribbon from a grocery store and made the bouquet en route to the wedding venue.
They were married on a beach in Marathon, Fl. The only other people present at the wedding were the minister and the photographer (who doubled as the witness for the marriage certificate).
It was the ideal wedding. There was no stress, no pressure, and no drama. Instead, Mary Ann got the picture-perfect wedding of her dreams. She still gets teary-eyed thinking about it 16 years later.
Mary Ann’s story
Throughout this month, Mary Ann is going to be sharing her story and the struggles and triumphs she’s experienced along the way. In the next post, we’ll learn about a time that she doesn’t look back with fondness. Actually, it should’ve been a happy time in her life, instead, it was coupled with grief.
Her goal
Mary Ann has felt alone for many of the struggles she’s experienced in her life. Largely because she didn’t know anyone who’d dealt with the same issues. But she’s made it her goal to be that support for other women. From infertility to advocating for physical and mental health, she wants to share her story so women who are starting their journey know they’re not alone.
The rest of Mary Ann’s story can be found here: