Is your group ready for motivation, challenge, and encouragement? Sara Borgstede is an engaging speaker who delights audiences with her story-telling and humor. Sara is available to speak for conferences, church events, fitness seminars and parent support groups.
Sara is a natural leader who understands your needs as juggle the details of putting together a gathering for your audience. Whether you have a group of 25 or 2,000, rest assured Sara will work with you to make it a success.
Contact Sara to partner together in developing an event your audience will be excited to attend.
Topics available include:
The Holy Mess: Balancing Faith, Family, & Fitness
Find balance on your calendar and hope for the craziness! We’ve all been there. Life seems a swirl of never-ending stuff to do. Have you taken on too much? Is there a deeper meaning? And where ARE those lost socks without matches?
During this presentation you will:
- Learn the 4 areas of life to keep in balance. (Yes, only 4!)
- Discover a helpful process for deciding when to say “yes” and when to say “no”.
- Find practical ways to grow your faith and find sacred time in the every day moments.
(Sorry, you might be on your own for the lost socks…)
Note: This talk is great for churches and women’s groups (MOPS, women’s Bible studies, and retreats).
- PR Downloads –
Sara has an encouraging testimony that warrants being shared and heard. She has overcome adversity and showed me I’m not alone in my journey called life! -Kerry Poppe, St. John’s Lutheran Church MOPS
From Couch Potato to Triathlete: How I Lost 100 Pounds Using These 7 Weight Loss Secrets
Hear Sara’s story of how she overcame life-long eating issues of compulsive and binge eating, lost over 100 pounds, and moved from hating exercise to becoming a triathlete. This is one of Sara’s favorite presentations to give! Learn the amazing story of how she has overcome a lifetime of eating issues and she has found freedom around food.
You will:
- Learn the 7 weight loss secrets that helped Sara lose over 100 pounds and maintain that loss for 10+ years
- Discover ways to fit exercise into everyday life. You will learn some tips about how to like exercise if you secretly hate it. (That used to be me!)
- Be encouraged for your health and wellness.
PR Downloads – 8 1/2 x 11 Handout
She had a lot of experience and it was cool because if she can do it so can I. -Dawn, Aurora, CO
We have had Sara speak to our Weight Loss study research class. Sara is very relatable for our subjects and they are always motivated to do more after they hear her speak. -Kristin Bing, Registered Dietician, University of Colorado Weight Loss Research Study
“I Didn’t Sign Up for This”: Hope For Special Needs Parents
Are you the parent of a special needs child? Special needs parents, come and connect heart to heart during this meaningful presentation. No one else quite understands your life like someone else who has walked in similar shoes.
Sara and her husband Mike are the parents to 5 children, including 2 children adopted with special needs. In addition, they were foster parents to 35 foster children. They understand the road walked by special needs parents.
This hour will impact you for years to come.
Walk away from this presentation having learned:
- How do I find time to take care of myself and my child?
- Will my marriage survive the stress?
- Learn the #1 way to maintain a healthy family.
PR Downloads: 8 1/2 x 11 Handout #1 Handout #2 — Voices of Special Needs Parents
Spring Into Wellness
Do you feel you’ve lived through a barren Winter season of life and are longing for Spring? If your well has run dry, take heart! In John 4 we learn that God gives FREE REFILLS! During this presentation, perfect for women’s groups and retreats, discover:
- Practical steps for renewed physical health.
- Ways to guard your heart to stay emotionally healthy.
- Claim the free refills of spiritual renewal God offers you today.
Sara’s presentation was truly incredible. She was informative, interesting, charismatic, charming, funny, and really connected with the students. She was able to make the connection with a particular student, asking the question and/or the audience in general, by personally referencing them, adding witty quips, and/or incorporating self-deprecating humor. She also was able to effortlessly take a question that was maybe already asked or limited in its scope and turn it into a very informative and meaningful point. – Kristin Earley, Eaglecrest High School
Foster and Adoptive Parents: The 10 Traits You MUST Have to Parent Kids from Hard Places
Foster and adoptive parents must have a unique skill set in order to parent children who have survived abuse and early trauma. Without these 10 traits, you will crash and burn.
Sara and her husband Mike were foster parents for 6 years and had over 35 foster children in their home adopted 2 children from foster care with special needs. They’ve parented babies with G-tubes and oxygen to teens with attachment disorder. It didn’t take Sara & Mike long to realize they had to learn new skills to parent these amazing yet challenging children.
Learn at this presentation:
- The 10 traits you MUST have to parent kids from hard places.
- Specific, practical parenting techniques that work. (I know, because I’ve tried a bunch that didn’t work and found the ones that do! –Sara)
- Ways to keep your sense of humor and joy intact.
10 Traits: Handout for Participants
Sara was so inspiring! I had tears of happiness while she was speaking about her life and passions. She is so motivating and I was inspired by her families story and finding the time for me and my husband to have one on one time. Thank you again for coming to speak to us. -Mindy, Colorado Springs
A Holy, Messy Christmas
Life seems to get more hectic and messy with each holiday season, yet we all yearn for a holy season of calm. Whether single or married, hosting your first Christmas gathering or have celebrated many seasons, this talk has something for everyone. During this presentation you will learn:
- How to host a peaceful holiday for your family and loved ones.
- Tips to eat in a healthy way yet still enjoy treats through the holiday season.
- Practical ideas for simplifying the celebration.
- Ways to get it all done without losing your mind!
PR Downloads: Handout
Pastor’s Wives: Peaceful Hearts in a Messy Life
Pastor’s wives, you have a unique calling as you serve alongside your husband. There is no job description, no salary, yet there are expectations. Learn:
- how to maintain a peaceful heart in the midst of ministry challenges.
- how to use your own spiritual gifts and talents.
- how to best support your husband in his calling.
Speaker Biography
Sara Borgstede is a speaker, writer, triathlete, and 100 pound weight loss success story. She and her husband, Mike, are parents to 5 children through birth and special needs adoption. They were foster parents to over 35 foster children. Sara is currently training for her blue belt in Tae Kwon Do and takes a lot of power naps. Find her at www.theholymess.com, Facebook and Instagram.
Sample Videos from Giving and Keeping: When to Say Yes and When to Say No taken April 5, 2014


Sara Borgstede Videos
See more video clips of Sara Borgstede speaking here:
Sara Borgstede Facebook video page
Sara’s Upcoming Speaking Events
2014
October 14 – University of Colorado Weight Loss Research Group, Denver, CO, From Couch Potato to Triathlete
October 21-Greenwood Community Church MOPS, Centennial, CO, Balancing in the Holy Mess
October 24 – Lutheran School Association, Decatur, IL, Faithful Finish Lines
October 24 – Decatur YMCA/St. Johns Lutheran Church, Decatur, IL, (open to the public) – Faithful Finish Lines
November 4 & 5 – Eaglecrest High School Psychology Dept., Centennial, CO, – Couch Potato to Triathlete
November 7- Colorado Community Church MOPS, Denver, CO – Balancing in the Holy Mess
December 3-Family in Christ Community Church MOPSNext, Westminster, CO, – A Holy, Messy Christmas
2015
February 2-Epilepsy Foundation of Colorado, Denver, CO – I Didn’t Sign Up for This: Hope for Special Needs Parents
February 26-28 Best Practices Ministry Conference, Phoenix, AZ – Balancing in the Holy Mess, Don’t Bring her Funeral Flowers: Dos and Don’t for Spouses in Ministry (with Pastor Michael Borgstede)
March 12-St. John’s Lutheran Church MOPS, Denver, CO – Balancing in the Holy Mess for Moms
March 12-Mending Hearts Parent Support Group, Colorado Springs, CO – I Didn’t Sign Up for This: Hope for Parents of Special Needs Kids
March 19&20-Eaglecrest High School Psychology Dept., Centennial, CO, – From Couch Potato to Triathlete
March 25-University of Colorado Weight Loss Research Group, Denver, CO, From Couch Potato to Triathlete
April 8-Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church, Englewood, CO – I Didn’t Sign Up for This: Ministering to Moms of Special Needs Kids
April 11-Mount Olive Lutheran Church LWML, Aurora, CO-Spring Into Wellness
December 15-University of Colorado Weight Loss Research Group, Denver, CO, From Couch Potato to Triathlete
2016
February 17-20 Best Practices for Ministry: Support Workers, Phoenix, AZ, Support for Church Worker’s Spouses. Part 1: Your Calling, Part 2: Your Marriage, Part 3: Your Children