From
creating safe havens for women, to spreading the word about new ways to
exercise, these women are making fitness a more positive experience for
all.
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While
we at SELF are firm believers that fitness should be accessible to all
people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and backgrounds, we also recognize
that there are still some vastly underserved communities when it comes
to access to easy and affordable ways to get active. Fortunately, a
handful of women in the fitness world have recognized this, and are
dedicating their time and resources to help make fitness available to
everyone, no matter who they are, or where they live.
We wanted to honor the following nine women in our SELF Healthy Living Awards
for the work they’re doing with each of their organizations. These
trainers are going above and beyond their typical job descriptions—to
motivate clients and lead creative and innovative workouts—by also
reaching out to new audiences, spreading the fitness gospel, and using
exercise to do good.
Our winners (five
individuals and two dynamic duos) are women in the fitness space who
are really working to make an impact in the industry. We’re certainly
inspired by the work that they’re doing, and we hope they inspire you,
too.
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1. Julie Ann Kelly, cofounder Haymakers for Hope
Haymakers
for Hope is a nonprofit that fundraises for cancer research, awareness,
survivorship, and care, all through amateur boxing events mostly in
Boston, L.A., and New York City. A boxer herself, Kelly wanted to find a
way to fight cancer (she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma soon
after graduating) and give back at the same time, so she cofounded the
organization in 2010. As of the date of publication, the organization
has raised over 7 million dollars since its inception, and Kelly is now
cancer-free.
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2. Alison Désir, founder of Harlem Run
Désir
founded Harlem Run in 2013 to empower the people of Harlem to get out
and get fit, no matter their abilities. The group meets twice a week in
Harlem and regularly has up to 250 attendees, but the movement extends
far beyond that, Désir says. “The impact of Harlem Run is vast—hundreds
of weekly runs hosted twice a week for four years, thousands of
collective pounds lost, hundreds of friendships and romantic
relationships established, countless people whose mental health and
sense of self have improved, and one incredibly powerful community, made
up of former strangers.”
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3. Liz Kunz, CEO of Girls on the Run
The
mission of Girls on the Run is to “inspire girls to be joyful, healthy,
and confident,” and since 2006, Kunz has been working to do just that.
The running groups meet twice a week to teach young girls life skills,
and work with them on community impact projects to help them learn about
setting and achieving life goals. They have a goal of serving two
million girls across the country by 2021.
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4. Toni Carey and Ashley Hicks-Rocha, founders of Black Girls Run
Carey
and Hicks-Rocha founded Black Girls Run in 2009 to help tackle the
growing obesity rates in the African-American community and encourage
women to start running. Now, the organization’s mission has broadened to
help all women make fitness and healthy living a priority. It has grown
to have over 225,000 members nationwide. Local chapters organize group
runs as well as virtual ones, and they’ve expanded into conferences,
"walk before you run" trainings, and pop-up tours in 22 cities.
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5. Corinne Wainer + Shauny Lamba, founders of SHAKTIBARRE
SHAKTIBARRE,
the hybrid yoga and barre studio that's also an empowering community
space, is the brainchild of Wainer and Lamba, dreamed up to make
wellness more accessible to everyone. The duo firmly believes you don’t
have to buy a $20 juice to be healthy—they offer sliding-scale prices to
help give their students a place they can afford to visit and help them
stay healthy. Shakti is the Sanskrit word for divine, creative, and
nurturing feminine energy, so you’ll pick up a lot of those vibes at
their Brooklyn-based studio.
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6. Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro
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| Courtesy |
In
2006, Mapp founded a blog that has since turned into a not-for-profit
organization whose mission is to connect the African-American community
to nature and to encourage people to spend more time outdoors. Outdoor
Afro now has over 60 leaders in 28 states who help connect people with
all different outdoor experiences, from hiking to backpacking to sailing
to yoga.
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7. Ally Love, founder of Love Squad
Model,
trainer, and producer Ally Love started Love Squad, an online community
and site, to help women become stronger, healthier, and more loving by
changing their perspective and exposing women to other successful and
amazing women in the same space.
