More often than not, students or clients begin a health program due to a cause. For some it may be they have recently been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other chronic diseases that will eventually alter their quality of life. For others it may be because their family is susceptible to a chronic disease and they have observed their loved one(s) battle disease and suffer in quality of life. Whatever YOUR cause may be, as long as it has to do with bettering YOUR health, it’s worth it! As a health educator, my CAUSE is to educate you to manage YOUR cause or help you prevent chronic disease through my fitness classes or my lectures on health topics. When I hear about a cause that is important to you, it makes me stop, listen, and help you achieve your goal.
This brings me to this blog. Many of you may know Casey, as she has been taking my fitness classes for 3+ years. Casey last night was brave enough to get in front of her fellow classmates and ask for her fellow classmates’ support. She recently signed up to run the LA Marathon to raise money for Multiple Myeloma, which is a form of cancer her Father has been battling. The up side is that her Father is now in remission (YAY), however he and his family have gone through a lot to get there, as do 17.9 million Americans each year (CDC, 2008). For those who know Casey, know she doesn’t hold back in the communication department (with all her screams, moans, and groans), she at times has hick-ups in the coordination department (hmmm…are you sure that’s my right foot?), yet when I met Casey she was a girl with all the weight on her shoulders and at times could not hold back her tears, as she was dealing with her Father’s cancer as well as her own back issues. Three years later, Casey has stayed committed to her own health and now is trying to make a difference in other peoples lives. I for one am incredibly proud of Casey for her dedication, especially through the tough times. I will be at her side supporting her through her cause and hope the camaraderie we have in class will carry to the track. If you also would like to support Casey, please log onto http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/LA10/cleming
Best of Health! – jesika