Girlfriends Half Marathon 2012
Sherri McMillan (Owner of Northwest Personal Training and Fitness) does it again. Along with her staff she put on another great event for a great cause– bringing together community — vendors, food, and live music (Hit Machine), and of course a race.
I had a super fun time as a volunteer of the 2012 Girlfriends Half Marathon. Volunteering is a great way to get in on the action and support a great cause. Yesterday, I volunteered to snap photos and shoot video of the event. Being photographer allowed me to mingle with folks, capture the moments, and do what I love most — chat it up.
I chatted up lots of “girlfriends” who were on a mission to meet their own personal goals while helping raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. While mingling and snapping photos I also met Steve Valenta (Owner of The Mighty Bowl), ran into Steven Lane (Photographer for The Columbian), and Kristen Myklebust (Clark College’s Food and Your Health instructor). Good times!
I’m proud to have been a part of such an awesome community event, for such a great cause. I hear there were over 2600 participants and about $75,000 was raised.
Here’s a few of the photos:
Chrisetta Mosley
I am a product – and now a survivor – of childhood obesity. As a child, my family always told me that my extra weight was merely baby fat and I’d eventually grow out of it. I never did. Instead, my childhood is filled with memories of not being able to ride a bike, flattening its training wheels from being over the recommended weight, and avoiding P.E. classes by any means necessary. For years, I wore my fatness like a wounded soldier wears a Purple Heart - with pride. I owned the look. I dressed it up. I worked the room. There wasn't a skinny girl who intimidated me. I made sure my hair was laid just right. Nails polished. Outfits coordinated to the tee. Accessories to compliment every outfit. But everyone has a breaking point, and mine came in the spring of 2004 when I tipped the scale at nearly 400 pounds 388 to be exact. I was MISERABLE trapped inside of that body. I no longer wore my Purple Heart with pride. Rather, I was ashamed and frightened. Ashamed that I had allowed food to become my everything – frightened I would die because of it. Drastic times called for drastic measures... Today, I’m bound and determined to live a better, healthier, active lifestyle. I realize I’m no longer a passenger in my life, I’m the driver. I’m overcoming my inhibitions and I’m slowly but surely saying farewell to my old childhood nemesis, obesity. For once and for all, Farewell Fatso!