Photo Credit: Photographic Memories
Kate Wicker is a Catholic wife, mom of five, perfectionist in recovery, and the author of Getting Past Perfect: How to Find Joy & Grace in the Messiness of Motherhood and Weightless: Making Peace with Your Body. She also has a novel in the works.
Kate has her degree in journalism and has been freelance writing for over a decade. Prior to focusing on her most important works in progress – her children – Kate dropped out of law school to support her husband through his studies and joined the editorial staff of a regional parenting publication.
These days, when she’s not playing the role of chauffeur, cook, and dispute resolution expert (who knew law school would come in handy in the trenches of motherhood?), Kate is a regular contributor to Catholic Digest and serves as a monthly guest on Relevant Radio’s Morning Air Show. She has written for numerous regional and national media, including Atlanta Parent, Catholic Exchange, CatholicMom.com, Catholic News Agency, Children’s Ministry Magazine, Crisis Magazine, Family Fun, Fathers For Good, Pregnancy, Pittsburgh Parent, WhattoExpect.com, and Woman’s Day.
In addition, Kate also appeared in Danielle Bean’s Momnipotent DVD series and the Catholic Conference 4 Women Relationships Program. She’s been a guest on the Faith & Family LIVE and Among Women podcasts, Huffington Post Live (known as HuffPost Live), Kresta in the Afternoon radio show, and EWTN’s Son Rise Morning Show among others.
Kate struggled with a clinical eating disorder as a young woman and frequently writes about body image. She also tells stories about these spirited, fun kids of hers as well as shares snippets of authentic motherhood – like the days when the only strength she can muster is enough to keep her home one step ahead of a health hazard.
25 Random Facts About Kate:
- She was born in Illinois.
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She briefly lived in L.A. and later auditioned at theatre schools in NYC pursuing a childhood dream of becoming an actress.
- She gave law school a try as well.
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The desire to entertain is in her blood. Her dad has eight siblings, and one of them is the trombone player for the band Chicago (James Pankow). Another is an actor in NYC who used to play Cousin Ira on Mad About You (John Pankow). His wife/Kate’s aunt (Kristine Sutherland) played Buffy’s mom on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
- Kate’s own dad had the glamorous job of selling diapers, which came in handy when she started having babies (and selling all those diapers provided a very blessed life for her as a child).
- Kate ran a sub-4 marathon and several half marathons and other races. She loves running, but several injuries have set her back. She has a (pipe?) dream of qualifying for the Boston Marathon someday. But for now, she tries to make sure her runs are more like playgrounds than proving grounds. She lifts weights and is a Pure Barre devotee although she is about as flexible as a lead pipe.
- Kate used to be a certified aerobics teacher.
- Kate is a former vegetarian and still doesn’t like steak or cheeseburgers.
- She does love dark chocolate, coffee, and wine.
- Kate is blessed to have had five natural childbirths under the care of midwives. She is an advocate of empowering women to make informed decisions and achieve the birth experiences they deserve.
- Kate homeschooled her children for nine years and then got burnt out. She doesn’t judge moms and their choices. She’d rather encourage them.
- Kate is a natural blonde.
- She is not a natural optimist despite the bubbly veneer. She has to work hard at seeing the glass half-full and has battled depression, anxiety, and periods of intense spiritual dryness.
- It’s in her brokenness that she has found the most light.
- Kate and her husband met on their high school’s mock trial team, and their team ended up winning a national title in a competition in Denver, CO. None of their high school classmates care(d) about this feat.
- Kate doesn’t like to talk on the phone except to her family and closest of friends. She’s thankful you can now order food online. She has never ordered a pizza over the telephone because it makes her twitch with unexplained anxiety.
- And, yet, Kate enjoys speaking in front of hundreds of strangers.
- Kate can’t do a cartwheel, but she did win an arm wrestling competition in the eighth grade.
- Kate loves books.
- And shoes.
- Kate and her husband backpacked through Europe.
- She also studied journalism and theatre in Italy.
- Kate hates to iron.
- But she loves to write.
- Kate hasn’t stopped writing since she first learned to form letters into words. Kate snagged her first byline in the second grade when she wrote a story about a periodontal Tarzan who climbed into kids’ mouths and swung from their molars clinging to floss, saving kids from the ills of cavities. Her teacher loved it (said teacher was not married to a dentist to the best of Kate’s knowledge) and entered it in a contest. It somehow won even though Kate used the word “neurotic” completely out of context, and it was published in a children’s literary journal.
“For from him and through him and for him are all things.” (Romans 11:36)