by Anna Kaschner | I was suddenly diagnosed with Kidney Disease in 2005, with no prior health issues and nothing chronic in my entire family history. It devastated me at the time, but over the 5 years I spent on Peritoneal Dialysis, I learned to become empowered to stay healthy by eating right, staying active, and keeping a positive mindset. I became a yoga instructor to help empower others, and in October of 2009 I had a kidney transplant — at age 30…

by Erika McDaniel | I really don’t know where to start because I have no idea where I am going. Maybe a background of the past three years will help explain. I teach English at the local high school. I was in Enterprise High School on March 1st of 2007 when an F4 tornado hit it. We lost eight beautiful children that day, three of whom I coached and taught…

by Anne McColl | Sometimes I like to joke that I haven’t made any friends since elementary school. I have, but two of my best friends are still my oldest friends. Over the years, life has grown more complicated with careers and other commitments, but we still find time for each other and time to play. Here’s how we do it…

by Ralph Szulerowski | How can I make a difference? What can I do that will bring about a change to the way I live with this disorder, for those suffering with this disorder, and ultimately solve the genetic puzzle that is NF? (And for the uninitiated, that’s Neurofibromatosis.) This is the short story of Julia, my wife, and her continuing journey of life with NF…

by Becca Roseberry, Climbing Guide | Extreme sports have always seemed to be more of a man’s place, where daredevil adrenaline junkies get their fix. It used to throw me for loop thinking about how I arrived at being a mountain guide in the Teton Range of western Wyoming, but I realize now it was my background growing up as a dancer — and all the female mentors I had along the way…

by Kelli Iassogna | I am a mom, a wife, a friend, a member of a huge family, and I finally feel comfortable saying this– a runner! I work part time and the other two days I volunteer at my children’s school, and I bake in my tiny little kitchen…

by Anne Marie Sebastiani, Triathlon Coach and Certified Personal Trainer | We all have those moments when you stumble upon an old picture and it brings you right back to that moment in your life. Mine’s from five years ago, and I vividly remember it being my wake up call to finally do something about my weight and fitness…

by Julie Peoples-Clark, RYT | Seven years ago, I gave birth to my daughter Ella. My husband and I were so excited to be having a baby. I had a wonderful full-term pregnancy. I ate right, exercised everyday, didn’t drink alcohol, and stayed away from anyone who was smoking. My due date came and went and I was two weeks overdue when I finally went into labor…

by Jade Gianakopolous, Xterra Triathlete | Had anyone suggested in early 2000 that I would finish the decade as an Xterra World Championship Triathlete, I wouldn’t have believed it. That year I gave birth to my first daughter and became pregnant again within a few months. By 2001 my body needed to shed 55 pounds of excess body weight. I found ways to harmonize fitness with motherhood…

by Elizabeth Upchurch | When my mom passed away from breast cancer, I began to overindulge, longing for the comforts I had before she was gone. I hardly ever exercised and I never said “no” to any calorific treat. I was twenty-four years old, forty pounds overweight and miserable with my self-image. I had to take control of my life…