Age: 64
Occupation: Founder and Co-Owner of YPB
Certifications: Certified Functional Aging Specialist, E5Collective Instructor, PPR L1 Certified Assoc. Pickleball Coach and AHA CPR Certified
How long have you lived in Corpus Christi?
August 1980
Are you married?
Oh yeah! To my best friend, John Wills
- What is your favorite healthy meal? Eggs, avocado, kale, all with a drizzle of olive oil and some red pepper flakes
- What is your favorite “free day” food? A glass of wine on Friday nights at Bellinos with friends.
- Favorite benefit of this healthier lifestyle. No drugs or meds of any kind. I don’t even have a regular doctor. My doctor clients ask me, “What do YOU need a doctor for?” I do have a female doctor; this is probably TMI!
- Why do you exercise? It’s my drug of choice. I was diagnosed with anxiety and a panic disorder in my mid-30s. A daily dose of good ‘ole exercise helps with the serotonin uptake and keeps me off meds. I don’t “feel good” when I don’t exercise daily.
- What is the most challenging eating obstacle to overcome? When I start eating sugar, I crave sugar. I also discovered that I love chewing! Once a month, I detox from chewing for 60 hours, and it helps me keep a presence of mind regarding the difference between being truly hungry and just addicted to chewing.
- Current exercise routine. 30 + minutes 5-6 days per week. M/W/F Functional Fitness Training w/Karen King and Michele Howard at 5:15 am. On Tuesdays, we do E5Collective; on Thursdays, we do Core & Cardio. I participate in Pickleball Drills a couple of times weekly with PPR Coaches and in Leagues on Monday mornings and Wednesday evenings.
- What is your most embarrassing exercising moment? I was doing heavy BB Bicep curls in my late 30s and early 40s and wearing a pair of drawstring exercise pants. I asked my partner to take the bar because I couldn’t lift anymore, and their finger got caught in my drawstring, and my pants came untied and almost fell off in front of a bunch of bodybuilder friends in a Big Box Gym. Jeeze, I couldn’t get rid of those pants fast enough!
- What do you think is the best benefit of exercising and eating right? As I age, if I had to pick just one, it would benefit brain health. Having lost a father to the disease of Dementia, I know that if I keep on exercising and eat little to no sugar, this will not be an issue for me. Secondly, it keeps me fluidly moving even though I am already experiencing some arthritis and stiffness at 64.
