Fit to Inspire: Alana Hadley!

This is the last edition of Fit to Inspire, and some amazing Olympic athletes have inspired us. For our last one, though, I thought this should take the opposite route by focusing on someone that hasn't been in the Olympics, but is still pretty amazing.

Meet Alana Hadley, the top sixteen-year-old long-distance runner in the country.  She has won countless races and logs in about 110 miles per week. Not to mention, homegirl wakes up every morning at five a.m. to run five miles and then goes to school. Now that's what I call dedication!

From Facebook

Recently, Alana competed in the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon (which is 26.2 miles) and finished after two hours, 58, minutes, and 22 seconds. That is an average 6:48 minutes per mile! She was one of the few women who finished the marathon in under three hours. What an accomplishment!!

From Runners' Space Website

So why doesn't she use this gift for her school's cross country? Alana  says that the cross country competitions at her school only focus on 5Ks (3.1 miles) and 10Ks (6.2 miles). She wants to run longer distances and feels like running for her school would delay her development for her ultimate goal of running the marathon event in the Olympics.

From 2011 Foot Locker Cross Country

However, she does receive some backlash from critics who think that she is running too much too young. Her dad, who is also her coach, has slowly added miles into her workout. He also uses a lot of strength training as well.  Dr. Cathy Fieseler, a primary care sports medicine physician and the president of the American Medical Athletic Association, says that unlike most young athletes, Alana is balanced.  She says that kids get hurt running when they increase their training too quickly, but Alana's father has been careful about this. Not to mention, there is no evidence that proves running at high mileages at a young age is necessarily wrong.

Alana hugging father, Mark Hadley. Taken by Siner/Charolette Observer

So, why is Alana Hadley Fit to Inspire? Because of her determination and balance.  This is seen in her school work (where she receives top grades), at church (where she leads a weekly Bible study), and, of course, when she is running. Alana sets a goal and completes it. So look out for her at 2016 Olympics, she may be running for the USA!

            Jon W. Adkisson for the New York Times

OHMMMM: Finding Peace in Yoga

Today, our Existing Chapters Coordinator, Danae tells us about her love for yoga:

I first tried yoga when I was in high school. I heard so many people talk about how wonderful it was and how it would transform not only your body for your mind as well; it seemed I couldn’t escape the topic of yoga. The primary offenders were my dad and my sister, they loved talking about yoga and how great it made them feel. Eventually, I decided I had to try this out myself.  While signing up for summer camp, I noticed one of the classes offered was a yoga class—this was the perfect opportunity to try it. I even convinced of my friends to try it out with me, because it’s always easier to try something different with a friend.

When it was time for me to try my first yoga class, I didn’t know what to except.  All I knew was if I could get a workout without running and lifting weights, I was in. The start of the class of was an introduction of the breath and how important it was to focus on your breath. We then learned to listen to our bodies and to not push ourselves too far. It’s quite common in a class to want to push yourself into poses your body might not be ready for simply because you notice everyone else is doing it. This was often a mistake I was guilty of committing. It took me a long time to realize the practice of yoga is more about your progress over time rather than instant success.

Over the years as I have continued practicing yoga, I have enjoyed how the lessons of yoga transfer very well into my everyday life. For example, a big lesson is the importance of breathing. Often times when your body is put through stress such as a strange position or even emotional stress, your breath becomes much shallower which makes it harder for you to concentrate and to remain calm. So instead of thinking about how much work I have to do or why do I have to stay in dog ward facing dog or what seems like an eternity, I focus simply on breathing. The more I concentrate on my breath, the less stressed out I feel.

I look forward to doing yoga, because the one quiet time of day where I get to shut out the world and get tuned with my body. If you’re interested in yoga, I encourage you to try it! Just remember always be safe and listen to your body! The hardest part is just getting started, but once you do, you won’t regret it! Happy yogaing! 

Fit to Inspire: Missy Franklin

One of the favorite athletes this past Olympics was Missy Franklin, the 17-year old swimmer who won medals and the hearts of millions.  While she may be an Olympic Gold-Medalist, we think her humility and down-to-earth essence is why she is fit to inspire!

                                     

Missy Franklin took a Mommy & Me Class when she was only six months old.  Her parents knew that she was a water-lover right then because, unlike the other babies, she did not cry once. In fact, she actually smiled at her mom as soon as she got into the water!  At the age of five, her parents put her into competitive swimming after Missy chased a fish while snorkeling.
                                         

In 2008, Missy participated in her first Olympic Trials. If you did your math correctly, then you'll realize that she was only THIRTEEN at this time! She did not meet the requirements to go into the Olympics, but she got a taste and began pursuing her dream.

Unlike most professional athletes, Missy was not homeschooled.  Even though she wanted to reach her Olympic dream, she did not want to leave her friends.  She wanted to live as close to a normal life as possible, which meant she went to school all day and then practice.  Can you say, "balance"?

In 2012, Missy finally qualified to be on the Olympic Swim Team, and, boy, did she bring it!  She received three gold medals, one for the 200-meter back stroke, one for the 100-meter back stroke, and one for her participation in the 4-by-200-meter freestyle relay team.  She also received the bronze for the 4-by-100-meter freestyle relay. Talk about making a splash!

Despite her amazing career, Missy still holds herself like a regular teenager.  Reporters are amazed with her care-free, humble attitude.  Her character shows that anything is possible with enough energy and determination.  Because of her attitude, we think that Missy Franklin is fit to inspire!

Girl Talk Meets Girl Scouts

Recently, two of our National Teen Advisory Board Members visited a Girl Scout Troop. One of them, Caroline, shares her experience:

 Ane' and I went to the girls' meeting knowing that the girls wanted to talk about the "tough stuff" that they encounter in middle school. These topics ranged from drug and alcohol awareness, to boys to friendships. The girls were very talkative and ready to share their opinions. We addressed any questions the girls had about moving forward in their middle school career. We reminded the girls to try their best to remain true to themselves in the face of temptation and bad decisions. Hopefully, we can help these girls start a Girl Talk chapter in their middle schools!

We are so inspired that Caroline and Ane spoke with this Girl Scouts Troop! Way to go! <3

Fit to Inspire: Lolo Jones

Field and track star Lolo Jones has overcome many obstacles before becoming the athletes she is today.  Growing up in low income household, Lolo and her family moved constantly. So much so that she went to a different school each year while growing up, until high school. No one likes being the new kid, but she was the new kid almost every year!

Lolo went to Theodore Roosevelt High School in Iowa and it is here that she pursued her love of track.  She showed great promise as a hurdler by winning the Gatorade Iowa Track and Field Athlete of the Year Award. Her talent for track thrived when she attended Louisiana State University by winning 100-meter hurdles at the 2002 NCAA Track & Field Championship.  Not only did she win an event that year, but she also won the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships in 2003 and 2004. Not to mention, she was an 11-time national champion, talk about busy!

In 2005, Lolo graduated college and became a professional athlete.  She won the Torina Memorial event in 2005 and both the Heusden and Ostrava Track Events in 2006.  Due to her success, she represented USA in the Olympics in 2008 and did very well in the Olympic Trials.  With her prize money from the Trials, she created a fund assisting a single mother who was a victim of the Iowa floods.  Lolo also used the money to give each girl on the Theodore Roosevelt High School a pair of spikes and donated money to the school so that repairs could be made on the track and to purchase new hurdles.

Lolo was diagnosed with tethered spinal cord and had to get surgery in 2011 (ouch!), but that didn’t stop her from being qualified to represent USA again in the 2012 Summer Olympics where she received fourth place in the hurdles.  She has received a spot on the USA bobsled team as a push athlete.  That means she pushes the sled at the start of the race, talk about muscle! 

Lolo Jones is fit to inspire because she has never forgotten her roots by donating to those in her home state of Iowa.  She has also proven that she won’t back down from receiving an Olympic medal. 

"There's always going to be a point where you get knocked down. But draw on what I've learned on the track: If you work hard, things will work out." --Lolo Jones

Joining the Zumba Party!

For National Physical Fitness Month, Zumba Instructor Gisela shares her love with Zumba! Girl Talk is excited to have her at this year's Project Inside Out! You can register for camp here! Now take it away, Gisela!

My mane is Gisela Marziali. I was born in the south of Argentina, in a region called Patagonia. I lived there for about 30 years where I married, had two children (11 and 13) and received two degrees in Radiology Technician and Physical Education. Ever since I was little, I've been passionate about dancing and sports. I took ballet classes, and I have participated in sports such as basketball, hockey, figure skating, and track and field.  While in Argentina, I taught different fitness formats, like Aerobics, step, Aero Latino, Aero-dance, Hip Hop and Afro/Brazilian aerobics for more than eight years. In 2003, my family and I relocated to the United States pursuing career opportunities for my husband. 

A few years ago one of my best friends invited me to take a Zumba class at the YMCA and since then I fell in love with Zumba, which encouraged me to return to teaching after several years dedicated to raising my children. I became a Zumba instructor, Group Exercise Instructor, and now I'm pursuing my Personal training certification.

Teaching Zumba has given me the opportunity to achieve two important goals in my life: helping people get more active, healthy and happy, and being able to do something that I love and truly enjoy like dancing and exercising all together.

“Dance as though no one is watching you,
Love as though you have never been hurt before,
Sing as though no one can hear you,
Live as though heaven is on earth.”

Fit to Inspire: Gabrielle Douglas

We all know who Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas is! You might also have heard her being called by her nickname, “The Flying Squirrel.”  Regardless, she is one of the favorite (and most memorable!) athletes from the 2012 Summer Olympics! With her humility, beauty (inside and out), and heartwarming smile, we think that she is fit to inspire!

Gabby actually had very humble beginnings when she was born.  Her family was homeless and she was diagnosed with Branched Chain Ketoaciduria, which is when the body cannot break down certain proteins.  Miraculously, the disease disappeared after six months.

Things got better as she got older, and her mother was able to afford gymnastic lessons for Gabby.  She quickly grew out of local gyms, and began persuading her mother to let her train in Iowa so that she could train under the elite coach Liang Chow and end compete in The Olympics.  At age 14, her mother finally agreed and she moved to Iowa to train and lived with a host family, the Partons.



Gabrielle & Liang Chow embrace during The Olympics



Gabby qualified for the Olympics, and we all know the story! She received the Olympic Team Gold and the Olympic Gold in the Women’s Gymnastics All-Around Title.  She is not only the first African-American to receive the All-Around title, but she is also the first female gymnast in history to receive Gold for both team and All-Around in the same Olympics.  This isn’t the end of Gabby, though! She plans on competing in Summer 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!

The Fierce Five winning gold!

Gabby is fit to inspire! For more information on her, pick up her book Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith, a definite must read! <3

Not to mention, one of our Leaders, Moriah Wilson, got to meet her!! So inspired! <3

Have an inspiring day!

The Girl Talk Team