Running for the YMCA of Greater Dayton
My Mission:
I'm running to raise scholarship dollars that will allow urban, school-age children in Dayton, Ohio to receive triathlon training, including swim lessons, running instruction, bike safety and nutrition education through the YMCA of Greater Dayton's Regional Youth Fitness and Nutrition Training Center for ten weeks during the 2010 urban summer day camp program.
Through this unique program based on the 40 Developmental Assets, hundreds of urban children, ages 5-12, learn the core values of honesty, responsibility, caring and respect. Also, they improve their mental and physical well-being through daily physical activity and healthy foods. I believe in this mission wholeheartedly and want to support it through my running.
The Need:
Regionally, the YMCA has learned that one-third of the children we serve are overweight and obese. This was determined through BMI measurements collected during the 2009 summer day camp season. In the urban camps, 200 children were screened for high-blood glucose levels and 10% were found to be at high-risk for diabetes. Nationally, childhood obesity is recognized as a critical issue and while this high level of awareness creates synergy for change, it is the community and it's citizens who make that change happen.
The YMCA is uniquely suited to impact community health, particularly with regard to children. For ten weeks, five days a week, eight hours a day, hundreds of children are under the care of the YMCA. Historically, the YMCA of Greater Dayton has been highly effective with community collaborations and partnerships. The YMCA's strategy of always doing things with others in order to leverage the most dollars has facilitated enormous impact in the Dayton metro region and this strategy is how your support pays the cost of sending a child to day camp for the summer. Your partnership is greatly needed and appreciated!
My favorite quote is something Gandhi stated, "Be the change you want to see in the world." It doesn't get much simpler than that.
About the Program:
Children at high risk of obesity and other health related issues are engaged in swiming, biking, running, nutrition and gardening lessons for ten weeks during the summer. They also get to participate in a YMCA Day Camp Olympics and Strong Kids Triathlon experience. What's more, partners through the Dayton Public Health Department, Dayton Children's Medical Center and the Dayton Diabetes Association do health screenings and assessments to identify children at high-risk of diabetes and determine program impact on BMI, blood glucose and blood pressure. The YMCA does fitness testing to track changes in fitness levels over the course of the summer with the goal of increasing strength, flexibility and aerobic capacity.
About Me:
I am testimony that running transforms body, mind and spirit. I am also testimony of the impact YMCA scholarship dollars have on kids, families and the communities they serve. This is why I believe so strongly in the YMCA and particularly the YMCA of Greater Dayton's Regional Fitness and Nutrition Training Initiative. While I was working to finish my degree I had to find a way to attend classes through the summer and I needed to find childcare for my three daughters who were out of school. The YMCA in my community provided scholarship money for the entire two summers so that they could attend summer day camp and I could go to school. Today, I'm part of the YMCA team, serving as Grant Specialist.
I was a stay-at-home mother of three for nearly 10 years before I started running in 2002. One of my children is autistic and the whole mother experience has taught me alot about the importance of diet and exercise as it relates to overall well-being. I've also learned alot about the fruits of determination and perseverance and how these attributes lead to personal achievements. In 2004, after a divorce I went back to college to complete my Bachelor's degree and running became more than a way to relieve stress, it became my mantra for persevering through life's challenges and connected me to others who were doing the same.
Over the years running has evolved from casual to somewhat competitive for me. If you love to do something it just tends to evolve naturally. I went from running shorter 5k and 10k distances to qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 2007 at the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon - my first marathon ever! I helped form a running group in the late part of 2006 through my church and for months the group trained for the Flying Pig. Together, we raised nearly $3,000 for a mission in Darfur, Africa.
It was incredible to be able to run the Boston Marathon at age 40. My 94 year-old grandfather, who started running in his 50's until his late 70's, had a goal to run the Boston for his 80th year but could not due to a knee injury. I finished the Boston Marathon in a little more than four hours (I hadn't yet learned about the risk of excess sugar intake and muscle cramping, ugh) and thought that would be my last marathon race but last year I felt the need to raise money for the YMCA of Greater Dayton scholarship fund and trained to run the Flying Pig Marathon again, finishing about three minutes faster than my previous Pig finish time (3:41:00).
My Running Goal:
After running three marathons, I'd like to focus on the half marathon distance. I believe I'm a better half marathoner - my best time is 1:36:22 when I ran the Cleveland Half Marathon, September of 2008 and placed 3rd in my division (87th overall). I'm excited about running the Ohio River Road Runner's 21st Half-Marathon on April 11, 2010. This is a relatively flat course out and back and the race starts and finishes at the Xenia YMCA, a branch of the YMCA of Greater Dayton Association. My goal is to improve my finish with a time of 1:30:00 or better. I'm always hoping to improve and my motivation is the feel of giving back and this is a way I can do that.
Thanks for reading about my mission and the story behind it. In the spirit of my appreciation for your time I will share another quote I read recently that says, "Silent gratitude isn't worth much to anyone." So, thanks again. I really do appreciate it!
Ann Marie
I'm running to raise scholarship dollars that will allow urban, school-age children in Dayton, Ohio to receive triathlon training, including swim lessons, running instruction, bike safety and nutrition education through the YMCA of Greater Dayton's Regional Youth Fitness and Nutrition Training Center for ten weeks during the 2010 urban summer day camp program.
Through this unique program based on the 40 Developmental Assets, hundreds of urban children, ages 5-12, learn the core values of honesty, responsibility, caring and respect. Also, they improve their mental and physical well-being through daily physical activity and healthy foods. I believe in this mission wholeheartedly and want to support it through my running.
The Need:
Regionally, the YMCA has learned that one-third of the children we serve are overweight and obese. This was determined through BMI measurements collected during the 2009 summer day camp season. In the urban camps, 200 children were screened for high-blood glucose levels and 10% were found to be at high-risk for diabetes. Nationally, childhood obesity is recognized as a critical issue and while this high level of awareness creates synergy for change, it is the community and it's citizens who make that change happen.
The YMCA is uniquely suited to impact community health, particularly with regard to children. For ten weeks, five days a week, eight hours a day, hundreds of children are under the care of the YMCA. Historically, the YMCA of Greater Dayton has been highly effective with community collaborations and partnerships. The YMCA's strategy of always doing things with others in order to leverage the most dollars has facilitated enormous impact in the Dayton metro region and this strategy is how your support pays the cost of sending a child to day camp for the summer. Your partnership is greatly needed and appreciated!
My favorite quote is something Gandhi stated, "Be the change you want to see in the world." It doesn't get much simpler than that.
About the Program:
Children at high risk of obesity and other health related issues are engaged in swiming, biking, running, nutrition and gardening lessons for ten weeks during the summer. They also get to participate in a YMCA Day Camp Olympics and Strong Kids Triathlon experience. What's more, partners through the Dayton Public Health Department, Dayton Children's Medical Center and the Dayton Diabetes Association do health screenings and assessments to identify children at high-risk of diabetes and determine program impact on BMI, blood glucose and blood pressure. The YMCA does fitness testing to track changes in fitness levels over the course of the summer with the goal of increasing strength, flexibility and aerobic capacity.
About Me:
I am testimony that running transforms body, mind and spirit. I am also testimony of the impact YMCA scholarship dollars have on kids, families and the communities they serve. This is why I believe so strongly in the YMCA and particularly the YMCA of Greater Dayton's Regional Fitness and Nutrition Training Initiative. While I was working to finish my degree I had to find a way to attend classes through the summer and I needed to find childcare for my three daughters who were out of school. The YMCA in my community provided scholarship money for the entire two summers so that they could attend summer day camp and I could go to school. Today, I'm part of the YMCA team, serving as Grant Specialist.
I was a stay-at-home mother of three for nearly 10 years before I started running in 2002. One of my children is autistic and the whole mother experience has taught me alot about the importance of diet and exercise as it relates to overall well-being. I've also learned alot about the fruits of determination and perseverance and how these attributes lead to personal achievements. In 2004, after a divorce I went back to college to complete my Bachelor's degree and running became more than a way to relieve stress, it became my mantra for persevering through life's challenges and connected me to others who were doing the same.
Over the years running has evolved from casual to somewhat competitive for me. If you love to do something it just tends to evolve naturally. I went from running shorter 5k and 10k distances to qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 2007 at the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon - my first marathon ever! I helped form a running group in the late part of 2006 through my church and for months the group trained for the Flying Pig. Together, we raised nearly $3,000 for a mission in Darfur, Africa.
It was incredible to be able to run the Boston Marathon at age 40. My 94 year-old grandfather, who started running in his 50's until his late 70's, had a goal to run the Boston for his 80th year but could not due to a knee injury. I finished the Boston Marathon in a little more than four hours (I hadn't yet learned about the risk of excess sugar intake and muscle cramping, ugh) and thought that would be my last marathon race but last year I felt the need to raise money for the YMCA of Greater Dayton scholarship fund and trained to run the Flying Pig Marathon again, finishing about three minutes faster than my previous Pig finish time (3:41:00).
My Running Goal:
After running three marathons, I'd like to focus on the half marathon distance. I believe I'm a better half marathoner - my best time is 1:36:22 when I ran the Cleveland Half Marathon, September of 2008 and placed 3rd in my division (87th overall). I'm excited about running the Ohio River Road Runner's 21st Half-Marathon on April 11, 2010. This is a relatively flat course out and back and the race starts and finishes at the Xenia YMCA, a branch of the YMCA of Greater Dayton Association. My goal is to improve my finish with a time of 1:30:00 or better. I'm always hoping to improve and my motivation is the feel of giving back and this is a way I can do that.
Thanks for reading about my mission and the story behind it. In the spirit of my appreciation for your time I will share another quote I read recently that says, "Silent gratitude isn't worth much to anyone." So, thanks again. I really do appreciate it!
Ann Marie