“Fourteen years of working with kids has helped me become the Executive Director of the P.U.S.H foundation. I worked at the Eau Claire Academy, which is a treatment facility, and I work at the Juvenile Detention Center. I’ve seen it all. My personal background too. I come from a low income, single parent household. I […]

“After college, I took 2 years off from playing basketball. I got my big boy job, because that seemed to be what the standard was. I did that for almost 2 years and I enjoyed it, but the whole desk job wasn’t for me. I found myself drinking coffee at the copy machine talking about […]

“My first semester of college I was stressed out and really struggling. I had gained the “Freshman 15” and I knew I needed to change something because I felt so unhealthy. Over winter break, My mom was reading the book Eat to Live and told me it’s a really good read. It introduced a lot […]

“For 31 years, I’ve kept the same workout routine. When I first moved to Eau Claire, I would go down to the YMCA during my lunch break. It was convenient because it was right by City Hall, where I work. Also, it was nice because my children went to daycare there, so not only was […]

“Today, I’m an American citizen. I moved here 10 years ago. I’ve built my own business here. I miss my culture and I miss the warmth and the craziness of Brazil, but I really appreciate the quality of life here. With very little, and a lot of effort, I was able to build my own […]

“I try to get everything out of everything I do. I don’t workout as much as I used to, but I do everyday things. The other day I was pressure washing my house. I was using my full body. I was lifting the pressure washer up to hit all my muscle groups. I’m working out […]

“Once my daughter started college and was out of the house, it hit me; I don’t want to die while she’s in college. I don’t want her to have to deal with that while being in college. And, I want to watch her graduate. I want to see her get married and have kids someday. […]

“Ten years ago, I got my dream job. I became the Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of the Greater Chippewa Valley. I love kids. I love the community. When I got the job, we had about 13 kids a day. Now, we have 4 sites and an average attendance of 360 kids […]

“In 2010, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was 52. I opted for a bilateral mastectomy, which ended up being the right decision for me, because after the surgery, we found that I actually had cancer on both sides at the same time. Up until that point, it had gone undetected. I didn’t have […]

“I grew up playing sports. I was a swimmer all throughout high school, so I know what it feels like to be in great shape. I also know what it feels like to have that slip away when college comes around and real life kicks in. The last two and a half years I was […]