Why I do it

I'm having one of those Jerry Maguire-esque moments where I can't help but write something, even if it's nearly 1 AM on a school night and I have to be up in five hours. But...here you have it, my manifesto, my goals, my passion, my purpose.

Sometimes I get a little down on myself because I see other people with such drive, ambition, aspiration and passion for something and I feel like I don't get that same way about stuff. Well, I guess I found my passion because here I am spending time reading about childhood obesity, the healthiest and unhealthiest states, and school nutrition programs across the country. For what? I wouldn't be doing this unless I cared so deeply and passionately about it...and I really do.

I've always wanted to educate people, not merely teach them. I laugh at this because honestly, when people ask me what I'm going to graduate school for, what my ultimate aim is, it's NOT to be a professor; I say that I want to be "an educator." There's so much more that goes into that profession of being an educator, beyond just teaching, just researching, and just serving on administrative panels. It's about changing the way people think about things.

When I was little, I religiously watched the Miss America Pageant on television because as a southern girl, I suppose that's what I always aspired to be. I had my talent picked out (piano and singing simultaneously, duh), what color gown I would wear (pink...again, duh!), and I even knew what my "platform" or cause would be. It always had something to do with kids and education. Initially it was for creative and art education reform in public schools, but now that I've found Crossfit, I've evolved into caring deeply about teaching...no, educating kids about healthy habits.

A CF St. Paul client asked me the other day who I thought the target audience for Crossfit Kids is: elite child athletes? kids bulking up for hockey season? overweight children? kids who just want a break from their parents? I think it's suitable for all of these needs. My goal is not to train the best soccer players or see a kid lose a lot of weight. My goal is to teach kids that fitness is fun, enjoyable and easily integrated into their lives.

It hurts me to hear that cardiovascular disease, something I've grown up watching my dad struggle with, is a disease that is largely prevented by making healthy lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise. As a Hispanic, it saddens me to hear that we have one of the largest rates of diabetes, and I hate that it is highly related to socieconomic status and access to healthy food sources and proper information.

So why do I do it? Because it's such a quick, easy, fun fix to target kids early on; or else we force them to pay the heavy price later in life. And I just won't be responsible for letting that happen!