Women Of Fitness - OBX Women Special Product

o u t e r

b a n k s

WOMAN a 2020 special product of

women of FITNESS they help keep us strong and fit, mentally, emotionally and physically. they help us become our best selves.

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Explore an elegantly eclectic emporium filled with treasures for you and your home.

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Nags Head

5151 S. Croatan Hwy., Nags Head, NC 252-449-2387

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ALEX AND ANI • BRIGHTON • XCVI • HOBO FREE PEOPLE • CORKCICLE • Z SUPPLY UNO DE 50 • GIFTS & HOME DECOR Best shopping on the beach...great sense of style relating to cloths, jewelry, and home goodies. Visit on your next trip! ~ Sheila Love this store! There are so many awesome and unique items. Plus, the staff is amazing! ~ Kelsey

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CONTENTS 21 F I S H E R W O M A N FITNESS WOMEN of

SHARING

GRACE &

GRATITUDE

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A DREAM BECOMES REALITY at SISTERS BOUTIQUE

10 WOMEN’S HEALTH THE DREADED “OOPSIE!”

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RECIPE & WORDS ON LOVING at TRIO

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outer banks woman is a special product of EDITOR VICTORIA BOURNE victoria.bourne@pilotonline.com 757-222-5563 ART DIRECTOR EJ TOUDT ej.toudt@virginiamedia.com 757-446-2516

MEDIA SALES MANAGER JOHN “SKI” MILLER ski.miller@virginiamedia.com SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE ELIZABETH CATO elizabeth.catoe@virginiamedia.com For more information, visit coastobx.com and facebook.com/CoastOBX

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Strong bones.

Active life.

The Outer Banks Hospital offers bone density testing (DEXA) right here on the Outer Banks. This quick and painless test can help you and your doctor determine if lifestyle changes are necessary to keep your bones strong so that you can remain active well into the future.

For more information, call 252-449-4500.

Mile Post 14 | Nags Head 252-449-4500 | TheOBH.com The Outer Banks Hospital is part of Vidant Health and Chesapeake Regional Healthcare.

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Photography by Lori Douglas

Sisters Boutique and Gifts, Manteo and Duck

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ne night back in 2013, three generations of women sat on a porch in Wanchese sipping cool drinks and dreaming.

Matriarch Patty Steinau, her daughter Rheanne Byrd and Rheanne’s four daughters, Lacey Apple, Molly Kinnisten, Maddie Kinnisten and little Sydney Byrd, conceived the idea for an income-producing creative outlet that would allow them to express their shared love of shopping, styling, designing and DIY projects – a women’s clothing and gift boutique. Best of all, it was a place where they could work together.

It wasn’t just idle porch talk. Lacey, 20 at the time, was home from college and tired of working in restaurants and retail stores. She had always wanted to create a boutique, and her grandmother and mother were on board.

And Grandma had come up with the perfect name: Sisters.

Patty created a business plan, and “Pops,” aka patriarch Ed Steinau, supported the idea in many ways, as did friends.

“The people who supported us in starting this venture and believed we could do it mean so much to us,” Rheanne says. “Those are the kind of people you want on your team in life.”

Lacey, Rheanne and Patty found a retail space in Manteo. The women had experience working in retail clothing stores, but they had a lot to learn about opening and running a business. “It was literally trial by error,” Lacey says. “Everything. But it was fun. We were just trying to figure it out as we went, and little-by-little it started falling into place.”

The easiest part for them was stocking and setting up the store. Shopping and decorating are collective family hobbies, so going to markets and placing orders is part of the fun. Rheanne handled the merchandising and store decor, including building display items.

The first winter was tough. “It was a cold, lonely winter with just the UPS man coming through,”

Lacey remembers. But by the spring of 2014, locals had discovered Sisters and appreciated that it was a year-round place to shop. Thanks to positive in-store experiences, word-of-mouth and Lacey’s dedication to the store’s Instagram account, Sisters has developed a regular following, including a band of loyal online shoppers across the country.

Delegation of duties is based on what each woman is best at. Lacey handles social media, correspondence, packaging, shipping and bookkeeping. Rheanne does the merchandising, cleaning and steaming. They make decisions together on ordering. They love the roles they’ve settled into. Lacey describes her job as “playing dress up,” especially since she models many of their clothes on Instagram. Rheanne loves decor and DIY. “I could do this the rest of my life, I just love it,” she says.

Patty was involved more at the beginning and is less so now, though she still works in the store a few days a week. Maddie and Sydney are starting to pitch in more, especially now that Sisters has a second location in Duck, which opened in July 2019.

The downtown Manteo waterfront location is moody, warm and artsy, with warm colors and a black accent wall, while the Duck location in the Scarborough Lane Shoppes is airier and lighter, with shiplap walls. Both carry a similar line of goods, including clothing, leather handbags, shoes, jewelry and accessories, home goods and personal care products. Sisters is trying to focus on American-made goods and to support as many other women-owned businesses as possible.

Lacey and Rheanne say they find it easy to work together. They get along well and have a similar vision for their stores and goods. The only time they can remember disagreeing is when Rheanne wants to move something in a store and Lacey doesn’t want to do it. “I just move it when she’s not here,” Rheanne says, as Lacey adds, “And it always looks better.”

What they’ve learned about running a store is that customer service is the most important thing.

Opposite: Rheanne Byrd, left, and her daughter, Lacey Apple.

“We buy things we love, but we also have to know what people want and stay on top of trends.”

– Rheanne Byrd Adaptation is key. “You have to be able to adapt and do things on the fly and make things look fresh,” Rheanne says. “We buy things we love, but we also have to know what people want and stay on top of trends. It’s not always about us. People have different tastes.”

Lacey says giving the business a personality on Instagram has been the biggest gamechanger. She is the face and voice of Sisters online, and she’s frequently making videos of the clothes, the ones that look great on her as well as the ones that don’t. Showing customers how the clothes look on all body types is important to her, she says, as is connecting with them.

Over the past seven years, the owners have met new challenges. Lacey has had a baby, Matilda, and since there are two stores, they now have employees outside of the family. Their biggest challenge is ordering enough inventory to make both stores look full while still satisfying their online clientele. “Being organized and staying on top of things is so important,” Rheanne says.

Outside of work, the women in this close-knit family spend their downtime together. They live on the same street (except for Molly, who lives in Wilmington) and still sit on the porch in the evenings, only now that their dream has been reached, they’re just coming up with ways to make it better. W SISTERS BOUTIQUE & GIFTS Where: 207 Queen Elizabeth Ave., Manteo; 1171 Duck Road, Duck Contact: 252-305-8582, 252-715-5536; sistersofmanteo@gmail.com More info: @sistersofmanteo and @sistersofduck on Facebook and Instagram

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Dream it into being

Story by Elizabeth Harris

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A Loving Touch at

TRIO Story by Megan Scott

Photography by Lori Douglas

Seventeen days into Suzanne Loving’s new gig as the executive chef at Trio Restaurant and Market in Kitty Hawk, businesses throughout North Carolina were ordered to close for dine-in service to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

The kitchen team Loving had just begun reshaping in late February was forced to temporarily disband while Trio’s management developed a plan.

Fortunately, navigating uncertainty happens to be right in Loving’s wheelhouse.

Several years ago, on a whim, Loving moved from her hometown of Portsmouth, Virginia, where her family runs a successful funeral home business, to Nashville, Tennessee. “I’m really proud of (my family) and proud of what they do, that was just not my path,” Loving says of striking out on her own.

“I’ve never had a hard time making big decisions like that. It’s the aftermath where it’s like, OK, now I’ve gotta do these things.”

The first thing Loving did was find a job working at Williams Sonoma where she was assigned the unfamiliar task (at the time) of roasting turkeys for the store’s live demos — an experience that inspired her to attend culinary school at The Art Institute of Tennessee. After graduating, Loving worked in

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restaurants and served as executive chef for a corporate food service company. She described putting in exhausting 80-hour weeks. She was 25, making great money with benefits, but “I was miserable,” she says. “I thought I could do something better, and I decided I was going to open a pie shop.”

So, in 2012, Loving set out with little more than her savings and a vision and opened The Loving Pie Company in downtown Nashville’s Berryhill area.

Neighbors included music studios and the House of Blues. “It was this neighborhood full of creatives who just really enjoyed what they were doing, and this whimsical little pie shop just fit right into the mix,” Loving says.

The dine-in eatery served 20-plus dessert and savory pies, including comfort food favorites such as chicken pot pie and mac and cheese pie. There were pop culture-themed pies and Showtunes Saturdays, featuring Broadway-inspired pies showcasing Loving’s affection for theater. “It was really fun. I had a great team that believed in what we were doing. We had all the trials and tribulations of a small business (but) everyone handled those mostly in stride.”

With a humble smile, Loving went on to describe the pie shop as “pretty charming” but that’s an understatement. Not only did it become a gathering place in the heart of downtown, but The Loving Pie Company filled a void in Nashville’s up-and-coming food scene still saturated with “meat and three” restaurants and uninspired desserts. According to local publications like Nashville Scene, Loving’s scratch-made pies were the best in town.

“It was really exciting,” Loving says. “(The shop) attracted such good people. A lot of my friends today are my friends because of the pie shop. It was one of my favorite things I’ve ever done.”

After a hugely successful seven-year run, and with a drastic rent increase on the way, Loving decided the time was right to embrace the unexpected again and head out on a new adventure. This one would bring her closer to her Hampton Roads family, nearer to the ocean air she’d been missing, and back into a restaurant kitchen that would put her extensive skill set to good use. She landed at Trio in August 2019, having answered an ad the restaurant placed for a cook. “My goal was always to run this kitchen,” Loving says. “I thought, ‘I’ll just dig in and invest in what (they) already have going and see how that goes.’”

Owner Kenny Hyman says Loving has brought a new point of view and some exciting inspiration from Nashville’s now-legendary food scene. Under Loving’s influence, Trio’s brunch menu has gained a few southern favorites, such as a breakfast bowl of North Carolina grits, roasted corn and local squash, and a sweet potato hash topped with avocado and a fried egg. Loving’s food centers around color, vibrancy and local-as-possible ingredients, and her popular weekly specials – which feature fresh North Carolina seafood and produce – spotlight those objectives in the best way.

Of course, there are also the pies Loving has added to Trio’s menu, such as the heavenly-sounding Coffee Chess Pie, which she promises tastes precisely the way good coffee smells, sweet and creamy. You can also indulge in a PB&J Pie featuring a reduction of Trio’s Black Widow Blackberry Cider, making us wonder why anyone would bother with the sandwich form ever again.

Behind the scenes, Hyman describes Loving as “the opposite of the stereotypical chef” thanks to her calm, centered disposition. Loving praises Trio’s management for their commitment to fostering staff development and creativity and she seems to pay it forward to her young kitchen crew by making their professional growth and well-being

(especially in these trying times) a personal priority.

She believes in the notion that you’re only as strong as your team and that having a solid network of support is crucial to success.

As the pandemic continues to shape our new normal, Loving continues to take things as they come. Given her track record of being at ease with the unknown, a sharp focus on deliciously creative food, and a streak of whimsical ambition, Loving’s Outer Banks adventure is surely one to watch. W

Suzanne Loving’s Coconut Custard Pie 1¾ cups sugar 1 tablespoon flour ½ cup butter, melted ¼ cup milk ¼ cup half-and-half 4 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pinch salt 1 cup shredded coconut 1 unbaked pie crust, (9-inch, homemade or store-bought) 2 cups whipped cream Toasted coconut, for garnish Directions Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine sugar and flour. Stir in butter, milk, half-and-half and eggs until completely combined.

Add vanilla and salt. Stir in 1 cup coconut.

Pour into pie crust and bake 50–60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.

Top with whipped cream and toasted coconut for service.

Bio Box Who: Chef Suzanne Loving of Trio Restaurant and Market What: Seasonal fare, featuring local ingredients and scratch made desserts When: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Saturday; noon-11 p.m. Sunday Where: 3708 N. Croatan Hwy., Kitty Hawk

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Loving’s food centers around color, vibrancy and local-as-possible ingredients, and her popular weekly specials – which feature fresh North Carolina seafood and produce – spotlight those objectives in the best way.

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PELVIC HEALTH and the DREADED

“OOPSIE” Story by Wendy Kelly Marketing Director The Outer Banks Hospital

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omen tend to push through and ignore changes in their bodies to meet work and care obligations.

But it’s not a good idea to push even the subtlest changes aside, especially when it relates to pelvic health.

You may believe you’re alone when it comes to a condition known as overactive bladder, but it challenges almost 40% of women. The condition, which is essentially named for a group of urinary symptoms, is not a normal part of aging or being a woman — as many as 30% of men in the U.S. also live with symptoms.

Because OAB can cause urine leakage (aka the dreaded “oopsie”), many people are embarrassed to speak with their doctor about it. But if you’re living with the sudden urge to go, have uncontrolled urine loss, urinate more than eight times in a 24-hour period, or even wake up more than once a night to use the bathroom, then you could have OAB. Causes of OAB, or temporary incontinence, can include urinary tract infections, constipation, certain medications, food or beverages that irritate the bladder, and over- or under-con-

sumption of fluids. These causes can usually be managed with simple treatment or a change in daily habits.

“Having an overactive bladder is a quality-of-life issue,” says Dr. Amanda Pond, of Outer Banks Urology in Nags Head. “It affects people’s daily activities, and they literately have to plan their day around fluid intake and bathroom trips.”

Pond says when she first meets a patient who suffers from OAB, she likes to get to know her and learn about her daily routine. Often a mod-

Overactive bladder, while not a normal part of aging, is common and can be treated.

ification in lifestyle can minimize the symptoms. “If there aren’t any other symptoms and I learn that a patient is drinking two pots of coffee a day, I’ll work with them to cut back on that before we consider treatments like medication and surgery,” she says.

Pelvic floor physical therapy can also help patients. Used in combination with lifestyle modification, pelvic floor therapy is a conservative, evidence-based treatment. Sarah Cox, a physical therapist with The Outer Banks Hospital Rehabilitation Therapy Center, says when she sees a new patient with overactive bladder challenges, she starts with an assessment of her pelvic floor muscles.

“The pelvic floor muscles support the bladder and the function of the sphincter, which controls the release of urine,” Cox says. “Utilizing specific pelvic floor muscle contractions for the targeted weakened muscles can really help reduce the symptoms.”

Many women experience an improvement in the quality of their lives with appropriate treatment. Don’t allow this pelvic health disorder to control how you live your life. Make an appointment with your provider and keep a list of your symptoms so that when you meet, you’re better equipped

3 to discuss the challenges you’re facing.

Remember, you’re not alone.

Even though OAB is not normal, it is common. W For more information on urological services as well as pelvic floor therapy, visit TheOBH.com.

Left: Dr. Amanda Pond, Outer Banks Urology.

Above: Sarah Cox, physical therapist, The Outer Banks Hospital Rehabilitation Therapy Center.

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for life in motion-

or life at rest.

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ACTIVE|LEISURE|LIFESTYLE

THE WATERFRONT SHOPS DUCK | NC

252.715.4860

SHOPZENANDZIP.COM

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(WO) MAN TO FISH Story by Elizabeth Harris Photography by Lori Douglas

Shannon Dunn O’Neal is certainly not the only Outer Banks woman to be raised in a commercial fishing family, but she is one of very few to follow the calling into the male-dominated industry. >>

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TEACH A

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’Neal, 31, grew up in Buxton helping her father, Paul Dunn, on his 32-foot fishing boat. From the time she was 5, she worked the water, fishing pound nets and gillnets. But when she graduated high school in 2007, she didn’t choose fishing.

Instead she headed south to attend college, earning degrees from Cape Fear Community College and the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Her original goal was to become a teacher, but during a 2013 internship in Costa Rica, O’Neal learned her father was having health problems. So, she came home to run the boat.

It wasn’t a difficult decision. Her family needed her. She knew how to fish. And, honestly, being on the water sounded better to the lifelong surfer girl than being confined indoors as a teacher. “I’m happy when I’m on the water,” she says.

O’Neal has been a full-time commercial fishing captain ever since and is slowly buying her father’s boat, aptly named the Shannon D. In the summer, she fishes alone, gillnetting for Spanish mackerel. In the winter she has help – usually a mate, or her father, as she hunts king mackerel or sharks. After seven years as the only female commercial fishing captain in the area, O’Neal is used to people’s reactions about her job.

“When I tell people what I do for a living, they are like, ‘Wow! That’s crazy!’” O’Neal says. “I don’t know why fishing is still like that. It’s not that intense of a job.”

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“I don’t have the freedom I used to, if Erick or my mom isn’t available, I have to arrange babysitters.

There’s no daycare on Ocracoke.

If none of that works out, I don’t go fishing.” – Shannon Dunn O’Neal While outsiders might think O’Neal’s job is odd for a woman, the commercial fishermen around her don’t treat her all that differently, she says. In Buxton, they already knew her from working with her father and accepted her like they would any other young fisherman.

In 2017, when she married commercial fisherman Erick O’Neal and moved to Ocracoke, she felt accepted by the male-dominated fishing community there as well. If she runs into problems she can’t figure out, they are more than willing to help. But she misses having her own peer group.

“We know each and other talk to each other and I never felt like I wasn’t accepted,” O’Neal says. “The only difference is that the boys are fishing around their friends all day, and it would be cool if I had girlfriends of my own out there, too.”

The biggest challenge O’Neal faces isn’t on the water: boat maintenance.

“I learned to fish with my dad, but he never brought me down to show me how to fix a motor,” she says. “You live and learn with motors. It’s hard to pay someone to do that work, so it’s important to be able to work on stuff like that myself.”

These days O’Neal faces another land-based obstacle: raising two young children – Kaiden, 2, and Mikaela, 6 months. Like mothers the world over, she struggles to balance work and raising kids, a problem most men in her industry don’t have to consider.

“I don’t have the freedom I used to,” she says. “If Erick or my mom isn’t available, I have to arrange babysitters. There’s no daycare on Ocracoke. If none of that works out, I don’t go fishing.”

She keeps a good attitude, though, knowing that her children will grow up fast. When she can get on the water, it’s like a vacation, O’Neal says. “And when I have a good catch, it’s such a reward.”

O’Neal says she intends to fish Outer Banks waters for the rest of her life and is eager to share the experience with any girls wishing to learn her vocation.

“If anyone wants to go, I would teach them,” she says. W

OUTER BANKS ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS SHOP...SINCE 1967

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Old World Glass Byers’ Choice Carolers Possible Dream Santas Ginger Cottages

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Duck 252.261.8121

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Karen Didion Originals Hollywood Nutcrackers Disney Ornaments LED Lights

• Remember your visit to the Outer Banks with a personalized ornament

OUTER BANKS Corolla Cor 252.453.3525

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Home Accents Outdoor Furniture Beach Fashion Unique Coastal Gifts

• Browse among our Thousands of Ornaments Table Top - Home Decor • Jewelry - Engraved Gifts Halloween Haunted House On the way to the NC Aquarium, Festival Park & Lost Colony.

Hwy 64 in Manteo on Roanoke Island

252.473.2838 • OuterBanksChristmas.com OPEN DAILY AT 9:30 A.M.

Julia Taft The Froggy Dog Restaurant & Pub, Hatteras Island Toy Store & more

Jill Bennett Birthday Suits

Kathryn Stewart Silver Bonsai Gallery

Dorothy Grandy The Rose Tree Gifts and Garden Shop

Donna Greenlee The French Door Eve Turek Yellowhouse and Seadragon Galleries

Empowering Women of the Outer Banks

Charlotte Dixon Charlotte’s Boutique

Shannon Kinser Sun Realty

Jamie Layton Downtown Books, Ducks Cottage Bookstore

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Candace Wright The Cotton Gin Susan Harvey The Bird Store

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by Gail

Vanessa Foreman Crystal Dawn and The Country Girl Carol Ann Angelos The Jolly Roger

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Kim Twine Pink Ribbon Resource Center, Inc. and Nola’s

Marty Facenda Zen & Zip

Gee Gee Rosell Buxton Village Books

Becky Nolan All Ducked Out Photo by Billy Delfs

Beth Wadle Miss Lizzie’s

Amanda Sprinkle The SaltBox Café

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Hannah Robinson Zen & Zip

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Ask about our monthly support group

New & Once Loved Apparel Upscale Resale

501 c3 nonprofit organization. Proceeds help the mission of providing women who are underinsured with post mastectomy products.

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252-435-2776

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g , Ladies Apparel & Accessories Sleepwear • Home Textiles Fashion Jewelry Bath & Body Essentials 101 Fernando Street in Downtown Manteo 252.475.1971 • Mon–Sat: 10-5

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When it comes to the Outer Banks, there is no shortage of amazing women. You can find them doing incredible things up and down this strip of sand we live on. And these five women are part of the reason why. They help keep us strong and fit, Story by Maggie Miles mentally, emotionally and physically. They help us become our best selves when we walk out of the gym and into the Photography by Lori Douglas community. They challenge us to try harder, to face our fears, to believe in ourselves and push beyond what we think is possible. They inspire. They motivate. They empower. And they all have an incredible story. They are – the women of fitness.

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women FITNESS

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53013 N.C. 12, Frisco; 252-996-0713, www. hatterasyoga.com; Facebook: @ hatterasyoga

“Even when my kids get worked up because they’re fighting, I’m, like, just take a second and just breathe.”

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ena Jeanette, 37, fell in love with yoga at the Wilmington Yoga Center.

“But I couldn’t afford a pass because I was a broke college student,” Jeanette says. She told a friend she was thinking about teacher training. “Don’t do it,” the friend told her. “You won’t make any money.”

But, when Jeanette and her now-husband moved to California, she still couldn’t get it out of her head. The problem was, she had a huge fear of public speaking, and the thought of getting in front of a group of people to teach a class terrified her.

When they moved back to Hatteras, she decided it was now or never.

She made the three-hour commute to Chesapeake every weekend for 14 weeks to attend classes. “I remember the first training we had to practice teach, and there were only three of us including me, and I just died. I was like, ‘I’m so nervous!’” she says.

So, how did she go from being terrified to owning her own yoga studio teaching multiple classes a week? “I liked it so much that I was willing to be vulnerable and kind of overcome that fear,” she says. “It’s a work in progress.

I still get nervous and that’s partly because you care, and you want it to be well received.”

For the first two years of teaching, Jeanette felt physical symptoms from her nerves before each class. She started using the tools of yoga and breathwork to overcome her butterflies. That’s something she’s passionate about now – teaching people how to use the tools of yoga off the mat.

“Even when my kids get worked up because they’re fighting, I’m, like, just take a second and just breathe,” she says.

In class, Jeanette will often read a quote from self-help author Melody Beattie that ends with, “When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships are built for.”

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CENA JEANETTE OF HATTERAS YOGA

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leven years ago, Angie Todd was overweight and over miracle diets. She was tired of hearing “experts” telling her to take this pill or eat this cookie and wake up skinny. Then she saw an infomercial for Beachbody.

“What was different was they said you have to work really hard and that hard work will pay off. I thought, ‘Well, I’ve never tried the work-hard option, so let me try this!’” says Todd, 42.

Before she knew it, she’d lost the weight and was teaching classes. For three years she taught at school gyms, the community center, the beach. There was no gym on the island, so she built one. Last month was the eight-year anniversary of Angie’s Gym, where she teaches Turbo Kick, TRX, T90x, PiYo, and her own popular class that she created, Row-mania.

“It’s not everybody’s cup of tea,” Todd says of her teaching style. “I tend to be more on the hard-core end. But people who are stressed and want to throw it all out on the floor, love it.”

Todd is also working on completing the six Abbott World Major Marathons, a championship competition for marathon runners that takes place in cities like Tokyo, London and Berlin. It is a feat she never would have thought possible eleven years ago.

“I find that there are so many people who you talk to who say, ‘I could never exercise because of my knees, or I’m just so tired;’ there are a million excuses, but everybody can – nobody can’t.”

Todd wasn’t athletic in school, she was in band; she was “every kind of dork you can imagine,” she says. She took jogging and walking in college because she couldn’t get into badminton or bowling.

“And I stayed on the walking end,” she laughs.

“So that would be my mission, to make everyone realize that they can. That they have it within them.”

141 Sand Dollar Road, Ocracoke; 252-928-2496; Facebook: @angiesgymonocracoke

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ANGIE TODD OF ANGIE’S GYM “I find that there are so many people who you talk to who say, ‘I could never exercise because of my knees, or I’m just so tired;’ there are a million excuses, but everybody can – nobody can’t.”

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1240 Duck Road, Duck; 252-564-2219, duckvillageyoga.com; Facebook: @duckvillageyoga

“I like to have an open mind when I go into teaching and really observe what’s going on with the people in front of me.”

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, October 16, 2020

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harlee Ulmer, 33, discovered yoga by a fluke. She went on a surfing trip in Costa Rica and the waves were too big for her liking. Her friend was teaching yoga and invited her to come along.

“So, I went to all of her yoga classes and I fell in love with how it made me feel and how relaxed I was after,” says Ulmer. She returned to the Outer Banks and it happened to be Village Yoga’s one-year anniversary. She took free classes all weekend, fell in love with the studio, and ended up signing up for its first teacher training.

“It changed my life,” says Ulmer.

She eventually started managing the studio until she moved to Montana for love in October 2018. When she returned months later for a visit, the owners sat her down and told her they were selling the studio and wanted her to take it over. So, she bought it in May 2019.

Ulmer’s mission is to make yoga lighthearted and fun. “I like to have an open mind when I go into teaching and really observe what’s going on with the people in front of me,” she says. “I could walk into a class expecting to do X, Y and Z and it could end up being A, B, C.” According to Ulmer, after each class some people say it felt tailored specifically for them. That’s what makes it all worth it, she says.

“At the end of shavasana, it’s the look on their face, the softening in them at the end of the closing meditation; that difference between the beginning of class and the end of class, even after it’s a super hard yoga class – even after that.”

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CHARLEE ULMER OF VILLAGE YOGA

Friday, October 16, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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OF ROANOKE ISLAND FITNESS LAB

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andy Savage, 43, has been in love with fitness since she was 15. It’s been the constant in her life that has helped her get through every hard moment.

“Even when I was in labor and you’re thinking, ‘Oh my gosh this is painful, how am I going to get through it?’ Then you think, ‘If I can run a marathon, if I can lift heavy weights, it’s just like that, I’m gonna carry this right into the labor and delivery room.’”

Her mission as the fitness director at Roanoke Island Fitness Lab is to help others realize their potential not only in the gym, but in life.

“I love seeing people make gains in their fitness, find themselves in fitness, step outside of their comfort zone and do things that they never thought they could do. You see people who are maybe timid or scared and you see them not only come to life in the gym but in life, and I think that’s really cool,” says Savage.

She loves hearing stories of how her clients are surfing better, starting triathlons, or lifting heavier things at work. She wants her clients to discover their passions, not just be gym rats. She encourages them to be in it for the long haul.

“I have a member that’s 59 years old and last year we were lying on the ground stretching and she looked over at me and said, ‘Do you think that I could start kite boarding?’ And I’m like, ‘YES!’ And I wanna be like that when I’m 59. I wanna be that woman that says, ‘Why not? I’m fit. I’m gonna try it.’”

Savage hopes to carry that out to all the fitness lab’s members.

“Never say never. You might not be able to jump as high, but you can still jump on that box. Or a smaller box. Keep going.”

823 U.S. 64, Manteo; 252-305-8223; Facebook: @rifitnesslab

“Never say never. You might not be able to jump as high, but you can still jump on that box. Or a smaller box.

Keep going.”

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, October 16, 2020

MANDY SAVAGE

Friday, October 16, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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BOOTCAMP AND YOGA INSTRUCTOR

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n 2006, Ashley Digby was in her 20s, working in sales, and fed up with the party lifestyle.

She was on a plane for work and saw an ad for a fitness competition.

“I signed up for this figure competition and I was like, there’s no turning back now, so I just did it,” says Digby, 41. It was a positive experience, but it was extreme. She had to take her own food everywhere, and it was hard to be social. But it gave her the inspiration to train hard.

“After that I was trying to figure out more of a balance of how to still live and still be social … but still train hard and eat healthy and see results,” says Digby.

Later as a new mom, Digby discovered a class called Body Back. She loved it so much she started taking night training, and eventually she bought the fitness business — with a 2-yearold and a 6-month-old at home.

In 2017, the family relocated to the Outer Banks. Digby began teaching her popular TRX Bootcamp class at the YMCA in Nags Head, and hot yoga at Outer Banks Hot Yoga. This summer, with quarantine restrictions, she led her own beach bootcamp.

“I teach classes the way I like to take classes, so they’re going to be challenging,” says Digby.

She jokes that it’s easier for some than others. “There have been several women who bring their husbands or boyfriends and they are the ones I have to watch out for because they will be the ones doubled over,” says Digby. “Basically, these women are beasts.”

Now a high school marketing teacher, and running her bootcamp in the summer, Digby just wants to bring the good vibes.

“I kind of feel this way now that I’m a schoolteacher, too, is just be a positive role model and a positive influence, whether it’s teaching high school or teaching fitness or coaching nutrition,” says Digby. “I feel like if I have good energy, hopefully I pass that along and make someone’s day better.” W Email adigby79@gmail.com or direct message through Instagram @fitmama_obx

“I was trying to figure out more of a balance of how to still live and still be social … but still train hard and eat healthy and see results.”

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, October 16, 2020

ASHLEY DIGBY

32 Friday, October 16, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

Sharing

Grace & Gratitude An Outer Banks woman who has found herself forced into an early retirement now has a new full-time job: her fight to stay alive and healthy while battling cancer.

Story by Amy Gaw Photography by Lori Douglas

and took care of other people’s babies in her home when her own children were little. More recently, she worked at Bonzer Shack, a Kill Devil Hills eatery, and she has long been licensed to apply permanent makeup.

But the bulk of her career was spent working for a nonprofit. For two decades, Mullis performed a variety of duties for the Hotline thrift stores and managed the nonprofit’s creative re-use shop, Endless Possibilities, which she calls one of her “great prides.”

“I knew when it was time to go, though,” says

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Friday, October 16, 2020

Mullis learned about textiles and fiber arts as a child and when the pandemic began, she started making masks.

She has made over 1,400 and gifted them to friends and family. Helping others helped Mullis not to focus on her own issues.

Mullis with a wink. “A lady always knows when it is time to leave.”

Many have been on the receiving end of Mullis’ generosity. Genevieve Mizzell Clark, a longtime friend who now lives in Virginia, says Mullis lent her Miata convertible when Clark was in a jam. During a heavy snowstorm, the roof of the car caved in and the vehicle was severely damaged.

“I’ve always felt bad about that Miata,” says Clark. “But Jody said that when you loan something out, you can’t expect to get it back in the same condition. She is so incredibly generous.”

Mullis learned about textiles and fiber arts as a child and when the pandemic began, she started making masks. She has made over 1,400 and gifted them to friends and family.

Helping others helped Mullis not to focus on her own issues, she says.

“I love her masks,” says her friend Agatha Knab of Roanoke Island. “She is so talented.”

Mullis’ life goals these days are simple, and abundance is key. Do right by others. Live life like it is the last day.

Go to sleep with a clean conscience.

She is grateful for the chance to have the time to work on, what she calls, “flying right.”

“I had a crummy childhood,” says Mullis. Her parents were artists and activists and they moved frequently.

Her father, Jon Charles Mullis, was a musician who found work as he could.

Her mother marched in Selma and was disowned by her parents for doing so. Things were complicated; family possessions were scarce.

“I made a lot of mistakes in my life,” Mullis says. “I also learned and grew and gave birth to three beautiful girls. My daughters are incredibly good humans.”

Her daughters, Dixie Mullis, 32, Hannah Sloat, 30, and Casey Sloat, 28, were all tested for the BRAC1 gene. Two tested positive, one tested negative. All the women live on the Outer Banks and they see their mom, and each other, often. Casey Sloat and her husband, Chris McDonald, have a baby, Parks Thomas McDonald, 2, who calls his grandmother, “JhoJho.” “He says it with a little singsong voice and a French accent,” says Mullis. “He is super fun. He takes the (crap) of the world and makes things better.”

Mullis says her life is rich and she is full of gratitude for the experiences she has had, whatever else may come.

“If it is time for me to go, I am OK with that,” she says. “I have had such a tremendous life. I feel satisfied.” W

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or the first time in her life, Jody Mikul Mullis, is living by herself.

Her children are grown, and her creative projects are minimal.

She says it was hard initially; now, she relishes the solitude. This is not a retirement dream come true, though, nor is it because of the pandemic.

Mullis, 53, has been battling ovarian cancer and recently learned she also carries the breast cancer gene mutation, BRAC1. She has endured chemotherapy and decided to pursue a prophylactic (preventative) mastectomy to reduce the risk of contracting breast cancer.

Her fight to stay alive – and healthy – has become a full-time job.

Mullis is a familiar face on the Outer Banks and has a legion of admirers. She has volunteered around the beach for decades and is also an artist. She drives a small, hot-pink work truck she calls Truckie, and her personal style is eye-catching: part construction worker and part Vargas pinup. She wears sassy, pink, cat’s eyeglasses, and her hair – when she has it – is very light blonde. Her smile is hypnotizing, and her kindness is easily discerned.

She says that sharing her cancer story is therapeutic but may also help others. “I cannot stress enough the importance of getting checked regularly,” she says.

In 2018, Mullis was screened for ovarian cancer and tested negative. Her mother, Helen Keefe Mullis, died from ovarian cancer two decades prior, but having beat late stage melanoma in 2002, Mullis thought maybe she’d already been dealt her cancer card.

Eight months after that negative screening, however, Mullis was diagnosed with high-grade serous ovarian cancer, a late stage, aggressive form of the disease. She received demanding chemotherapy treatments until September 2019. Her body responded well, and she and her medical team have switched their focus to her double mastectomy. Mullis has already completed breast reduction surgeries as part of the multi-step, areola sparing procedures.

“I am making a plan for my final surgery,” says Mullis, “My immune system is compromised. My doctors told me no more surgeries if the cancer comes back.”

Most days she feels OK, she says, but admits to being tired, adding that staying positive can be a challenge. As part of her mental health plan, Mullis posts on social media daily to a bevy of loyal followers. She volunteers for Nest, an endangered sea turtle protection group, and shares photos of beach sunrises and baby turtles, as well as inspirational messages.

Katy Shultz, a friend, says Mullis’ posts are vital to her and that they share grace. “Seeing her pictures with my morning coffee starts my day off in the right direction,” says Shultz, “Baby turtles mean there’s hope in this world and the cycle of life is truly a wonder.”

Mullis has a devoted following of admirers offline, too, many who know her just by sight. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mullis moved with her family to the Outer Banks in the early 1980s. She graduated from Manteo High School in 1985.

She worked at Papagayos Restaurant in the ‘80s,

34 Friday, October 16, 2020 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

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