Liz O'Keefe Stays Healthy Thanks to Leagues

St. Louis native Liz O’Keefe has been playing tennis for most of her life and in USTA Leagues since 2014 and has used tennis and nutrition to transform her health and fitness in a dramatic way.

O’Keefe struggled with her weight from the time she was just nine years old up until she reached 50. “I would lose the same 20 to 30 pounds every year and then gain it back,” said O’Keefe. “I would commit to a program for a short period of time, but it was never sustainable for me.”

However, tennis always proved to be a positive outlet for O’Keefe throughout these years. As a young child, O’Keefe recalls loving tennis so much that she would play for five or six hours a day at summer camp. Everything she knew was self-taught, getting most of her practice by hitting the ball against the wall of her garage. She went on to play in high school as the captain of her team, and shortly after, she met her fellow tennis-playing husband, Michael.

Tennis has been incredibly important in O’Keefe’s life as well as her journey with health and fitness. “I’ve learned a lot about discipline and using it as an outlet that I could always go back to,” she adds.

Fast forward to several years later, and O’Keefe grew so busy with work and family that she’d set the racquet aside and struggled with an exercise and nutrition regimen. Once her kids got involved with the game, O’Keefe picked it back up and fell in love all over again.

“I thought to myself, ‘What was I doing on the treadmills these past 20 years?’ Instead, I can play something I love, make friends, and enjoy my exercise.”

Through nutrition and tennis, she has managed to lose all the weight she held onto for years and more, dropping over 40 pounds total and keeping it off for good.

Her exercise regimen consists of tennis three to four days a week and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on the days she isn’t playing, but she admits that she prefers tennis over any other form of exercise.

“Tennis is amazing. I get a personal development component that I don’t get in other places,” she includes. “When I know I’m working on a skill and I’m able to put it into action and see a result, that propels me in a direction to be better and it fuels me in giving even more.”

Nutritionally, O’Keefe has transformed her body from the inside out by eating five small meals a day, pacing her protein intake throughout the day, and incorporating supplements to fill in nutritional gaps and cleanse.

Nutrition has been key for O’Keefe, and she advises anyone looking to start their own weight loss journey to begin in this area as well. A first step she recommends is to seek out someone knowledgeable enough to help with finding the proper supplements for you.

As O’Keefe’s health has changed from the inside out, she has also seen the results on the court. She now feels more energetic, can compete at a higher level, and has dramatically increased her winning record. She has also been able to spread the health and wellness knowledge to others within the St. Louis tennis community in order to help them look, feel, and play better as well.

“When I can help people feel better and execute better, their record reflects the work they’re doing on themselves and reflects positively on how they feel about themselves and on the court,” she reflects. “There’s more happiness overall on the court…That’s what makes my heart sing.”

O’Keefe is passionate about serving and walking with others in the tennis community along their health and fitness journeys. If you would like to reach out to O’Keefe email lizokeefelife@gmail.com. To learn more about USTA leagues in your area, visit this page.