Wellness at Witham

I have been in the Health and Wellness field since the 1900s! 1999 to be exact. I graduated from Ball State University with a B.S. in Exercise Science and the rest is history. I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be! After working for St Vincent Health Promotion Department right out of college as well as Lebanon Sports & Fitness, I stumbled into creating a Wellness Program for staff right here at Witham in 2008 and have never looked back. Witham Wellness is MY purpose. A life-long lover of learning, I’m certified in Group Exercise, Personal Training & Health Coaching, as well as Yoga, Pilates, SilverSneakers, Rock Steady Boxing, Myofascial Release and Sports Nutrition. Wellness is truly entwined into every fiber of my being. My slogan is “Small Changes, BIG impact” and I live by the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of the time, I eat whole foods that are nutrient dense and 20% of the time, I eat what I’m craving…which is most likely ice cream, Doritos, M&M’s or a Diet Coke! I don’t believe in perfection. There has never been a perfect human, so don’t strive for that! Our family motto is “Excuses are for Losers” and I wholeheartedly believe we can make an excuse for just about anything. I encourage you to make a protocol for your life. Healthy routines that are non-negotiable. You drink your water, you eat nutritious food, you do some type of movement each day and for Heavens sake you get 8 hours of quality SLEEP. When life gets busy or a curve ball is thrown your way, hang on to your habits. Just do the next thing. THIS is who YOU are. You can customize it to your life. 

My favorite exercise is walking. I’ll walk or hike anywhere! I also really love strength training and believe it is the key to longevity. Although, I’ll never miss a Pilates or Yoga class either. SEE…every fiber. I LOVE it.

My go-to healthy recipe is a taco salad. We have it once a week! I make my own seasoning because who knows what is in those packets anyway?! I add ground beef, black beans, Romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced green onions, cilantro, avocado, a tiny bit of sour cream and pickled jalapenos! (My kids do cheese)  And, you already KNOW I crush some Doritos on top! Here is my seasoning recipe:
1 TBSP chili powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp paprika
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp black pepper

Movement has always been a part of my life from running around my childhood neighborhood, starting competitive diving at 12 and then attending Illinois State University to Dive.  At Illinois State I studied Exercise Science. After graduating in 2005, I started personal training and in 2007 started a corporate wellness program for a local roofing business. In 2014, I completed my degree in Nutrition at Purdue and started using that new education in my current role as a corporate wellness coach. In 2014, I started participating and eventually coaching CrossFit. I also returned to the pool to teach water aerobics for Silver Sneakers. When I am not at CrossFit or in the pool I like running and coaching the “Girls on the Run”.   My passion is instructing and encouraging people at every size and age to be the healthiest version of themselves. My happy place is in a gym moving heavy weight, doing activities with my family, puzzles, reading and playing/walking my dogs. I am blessed to be here at Witham Health Services doing what I love.  

My favorite form of exercise is CrossFit but my favorite movement is Clean and Jerks!

All food is good; all food has a place but my go to would be eggs and toast!