Fit Gammas
A fit Gamma’s success story Sister Claudia “Corazon” Garcia Sister Anna “La Piedra ” Williams dinners around my cheat meal day or offer healthy alternatives at their parties. It made me feel good to know that I had the support of people around me. In seven months, I have lost 37 pounds and know I have what it takes to reach the 120s within the next few months. My work in education provided a forum for me to affect change in more than just myself. I wasn’t healthy yet, but I wanted to share my journey with others and positively impact my school community. I started a Girls’ Fitness and Weightlifting club in 2012. The girls had so many questions about food choices and exercise. They were starving for information and wanted to make good choices. Often, I found that the information I shared was not only new to them, but their families as well. As a result of my club, interest in health and fitness on my campus grew and I quickly became known to others as a source of information. Students would ask me questions about what foods they should eat, teachers would ask me how to lose weight. It should have been no surprise, that when a group of my students wanted to challenge themselves beyond anything they had ever done before, they turned to me. These students approached me and asked if I would do the MS 150 with them. The MS 150 is a 180 mile bike ride from Houston to Austin, Texas that lasts two days and raises support and awareness for multiple sclerosis. With only a second of hesitation, I agreed. Together, eight girls, four teachers, and I have begun
the training and fundraising process. A few of the girls could barely even ride a bike when we started. We have received a generous donation of bicycles from a local organization and are fundraising the $500 per person required to participate in the ride. Our goal is to raise $10,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. We have started this process through bake sales and letter writing campaigns and have until April to meet our goal. I know that this is building a wealth of skills that my girls will take with them for the rest of their lives. Not only are they helping other people, they are helping themselves. If you would like to support us in our efforts, please share our website with those you know and donate to our cause if you are able. http:// www.gofundme.com/kippms150
I hope you enjoyed the first of what we hope to be many more success stories. If you’d like to join the Fit Gammas group on Facebook, you can find us at:https://www.facebook.com/ groups/fitgammas/ and on Instragram under FitGammas1990. To submit questions, success stories, or suggestions for Fit Gammas, please email fitgammas@gmail.com.
La Mensajera Fall 2013
17