Spotlight: Terry DeWitt

Building Your Next Chapter 

Contracting ME/CFS has been one of the most challenging and yet rewarding periods of my life.  It forced me to give up much of what I did and who I thought I was before I got sick, but it also opened a new chapter—one with new goals, new perspectives, and ultimately a new way forward.

Before I got sick, I was a pretty active guy—deeply engaged in both professional and personal pursuits and always interested in human nature.

After earning my BA in Sociology at Harvard and my MBA at Dartmouth, I built a 35+ year career at some great institutions.  I was Vice President of Hospital Marketing at Mass General Brigham, where I led integrated marketing for its 10 hospitals; I led marketing and communications at the MIT Sloan School of Management; and I was Managing Director at Harvard Business School Publishing.

I was also an avid endurance athlete and outdoor enthusiast.  I rowed varsity crew at Harvard, started a recreational rowing program at Dartmouth, rowed at the Head of the Charles Regatta for many years as a masters athlete, and won medals at the Masters National Rowing Championship. In addition to rowing, I completed the Canadian Cross-country Ski Marathon, took a ten-day solo bike ride through Romania and Austria, and kayaked island to island up the Maine coast. I loved endurance sports and the beauty of the outdoors.

Then in February of 2020, I contracted COVID before most people knew it had come to the US. After battling pneumonia, I was eventually diagnosed with the ME/CFS version of Long COVID. My symptoms include profound fatigue, post-exertional malaise, brain fog, and reduced capacity that forced me to step away from the demanding hours, leadership roles, and rigorous outdoor activities of my prior life. Despite consulting top doctors and diving deep into research, it became evident that a return to my pre-illness life wasn’t likely anytime soon.

This loss was extremely challenging.  Important parts of my life had been taken away and I didn’t know what I could replace them with.  I could try to return to my previous work in some kind of diminished capacity that likely would have made my health even worse. Or I could develop a new path forward that would be sustainable and hopefully rewarding.

I realized I needed to build my life based on who I am now, what I can sustainably do now, and how I can still contribute meaningfully. So, I decided to embrace the opportunity to pivot. I went back to school and eventually launched my coaching practice, aligning with my current energy level and leveraging my experience in life, leadership, human behavior, and chronic illness.

Today, as Founder and Principal Coach of the Center for Life Transition. I provide one-on-one coaching for people with chronic illness. Drawing from my own experience with ME/CFS, I help people move toward self-discovery, resilience, and lives aligned with their current reality (whatever it may be)—so they can emerge with direction and excitement for what’s next. I love my new work, and this next chapter.