I was a little chubby girl in a world of skinny girls. Older skinny girls told me if I lost weight, I would be prettier and the boys would like me more. I believed them! I stopped eating sugar and whipped cream. I kept biking everyday; swam in the little ornamental pool in the yard and did 100 crunches. At some point, I stopped being chubby but I never stopped being active.
Many years passed and I started helping communities get funds to build things and become better places to live. There were goals and objectives and action plans. Mayors, businesses, school districts and other groups came together to plan for the future. It was the time that obesity was becoming epidemic so communities were building trails and bike paths to connect neighborhoods to schools and shopping centers. They wanted more public transportation so air pollution wouldn’t make people sick.
So I decided that by helping people create their own healthy strategies, I can help them make their communities healthier. The more I learned about creating fitness strategies for individuals, the more I realized how much the lessons can help people in their work.
Roshi Pelaseyed is a certified personal trainer, holistic health consultant and economic development finance professional.