Sunday, May 8, 2011

HONORED to be a Nike Speaker





i was asked to speak at the NIKE women's pro camp in June at USC
as their nutritional reference
FLATTERED i sit here and wonder the best way to connect.

i have an abundance of thoughts & emotions flying through my head
when i think about speaking to impressionable teenage, girls
........it is all in the approach
thankfully, in this room of up to 150 young women
will be athletes, open minded and passionate
if they leave with just one new piece of information i give
then i will have done my job well

knowing what i know now
i wish i could speak to myself, as a freshman in high school
when your body is changing and you CANT eat whatever you want anymore
along with weight gain, and self conscious thoughts, come struggles
struggles with self esteem and relationships
not only relationships with your family and friends, but with tangible things
such as FOOD

i decided that as an aspiring runway model
i needed to not eat as much as i used to
so what did i do?
i threw myself a pitty party, and only ate ho hos
just for lunch..... but i would probably have a normal dinner........
WHICH MADE IT OK?
i would try to not eat for as long as long as i could but i always caved in the cafeteria

after school from about 245 until 930 i was at gymnastics practice then straight to dance
burning more calories than i could imagine
i started to get sick all the time
and couldnt understand why things werent working out in my favor

i have made it a point for myself to make sure
that the lives of kids i can reach dont get to that point
excessive exercise or restricted caloric intake
or even worse

FOOD NEEDS TO BE USED AS FUEL
not to mask feelings, or deprive yourself
we should be taught in a way that makes sense to us, how to protect our bodies
if i & most teenage athletes would have nourished and rested
imagine the possibilities
but that is the true test
what are you willing to do to be that star athlete
sometimes, raw talent isnt enough
the dedication must be in all facets of life

a big clean breakfast
healthy/filling snacks
lots of water
and plenty of protein
sleep
& good genuine relationships
allow yourself to feel as good as you possibly can
always be at the top of your game
and enjoy yourself
still be a kid, but know that you can help your future with smarter choices
those choices may just be asking for help
i plan to talk about
fuel,
food relationships,
and getting the most out of each day.
respecting you body,
and knowing that if you are fulfilled & healthy
the sky is the limit!

choose a role model for who she is
not how she looks
but how hard she tries to exceed her fullest potential
know that you too can be whoever you choose to be
but you must take the steps to get there & have integrity

DECIDE TO BE THAT ROLE MODEL FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
we need more strong women
and less of those that will take the easy way out

fight hard
play hard
work hard







1 comment:

  1. CONGRATS JOS! Your Alpha Sport Team is so proud of you and excited to be a part of your growth! Yayaya!

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