When a biting northwest wind cuts through frigid Vermont air and robs you of your breath, it's hard to focus on anything other than the incessant and uncontrollable chattering of your own teeth. The temperature can't be more than 30 degrees, but you purposefully shed your layers and join the fearless fleet heading toward the lake in front of you. Spectators bundled in woolen hats and insulated coats cheer you on; the clouds of breath that billow out of their mouths serve as a glaring reminder that it's February in New England.
Not many people would voluntarily brave the icy Penguin Plunge in Lake Champlain for Special Olympics in honor of a friend serving in Iraq. There are even fewer who would openly associate themselves with the word fat. Thirty-six-year-old Summit resident Kara Richardson Whitely, a reporter for Central New Jersey's Courier News and the author of Fat Woman on the Mountain: How I Lost Half of Myself and Gained Happiness, can declare she has accomplished both of these feats and so much more.
Kara, who grew up in Vermont and Canada, had always dreamed of scaling a mountain, but as an adult she found the only thing climbing was her weight.
On New Year's Eve in 2005, the then-30-year-old gave her 360-pound self an ultimatum: Time to get moving. By eating nutritious foods, kicking off weekday mornings at the gym, and hiking on trails from as nearby as Jockey Hollow to Camel's Hump in Vermont and the Grand Canyon, Kara conditioned her body until she was ready to tackle Mount Kilimanjaro - at 19,341 feet, Africa's highest peak. Through this training, Kara lost 120 pounds and adopted the motto: Do the things you want to do and the weight loss will follow.
Then, Kara had a thought: Why not use her training to raise money for a charity? "Kilimanjaro was going to be a huge undertaking," she says. "I needed a little extra something to get me to the top." When she discovered Global Alliance for Africa's AIDS orphans program, she knew it was a perfect fit: It was an opportunity to give back to the country that was providing her with a renewed sense of hope. To date, she has raised more than $16,000 for the organization.
After a five-and-a-half-day, 65-mile climb through rain forests and glaciers, Kara both reached the top of the mountain and achieved clarity. "I can put excuses in the way of exercise," she admits. "I couldn't excuse myself out of a workout when a kid needed fresh water or an education."
Almost one year to the day after she returned from Mount Kilimanjaro, Kara had her first child and found herself back in the rut of intention versus action. Determined to remain on task, she developed an initiative she coined the 'Save the World Workout' in which she would train for and then engage in a different physical challenge each month in 2009 and by doing so raise money for various charities. She developed a six-day-a-week workout regimen guided, in part, by her personal trainer, Heather Worthy. When selecting charities, Kara focused on causes that touched her personally. For example, she selected the American Heart Association's Start Heart event in honor of her father who suffered two heart attacks. Supporters followed her progress on her website, fatwomanonthemountain.com. "It's helpful to have a cause bigger than myself," she says, when asked how she stays motivated.
Kara has already climbed Mount Kilimanjaro twice but she is determined to conquer it once more - this time with a bit more fanfare. She is arranging a celebrity Kilimanjaro hike for charity in February 2011. Each one of the participants - still being determined at press time - has struggled with weight issues and will use the trek as a way to raise money for their individual selected cause. She is working with Emmy-winning producer Denise Cramsey, and director Scott Farquharson, to develop the concept into a television series.
"The excuse about not having time to work out - I let it evaporate because it's the most important thing I can do for myself each day," says Kara, who shares her experiences and inspires others through her blogs and coaching services. "I just need to keep moving forward because I get stronger with each step."
Learn more about Kara's Save the World Workout and read an interview with her trainer at njlhealthandbeauty.com NJL Health + Beauty tackles serious health issues using local experts and resources. We have all the tips and info you need to Live Your Ultimate Life. Find expert advice, recipes from the state's hottest chefs, upcoming events, exercise programs, and more!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexandria_Bachert
Not many people would voluntarily brave the icy Penguin Plunge in Lake Champlain for Special Olympics in honor of a friend serving in Iraq. There are even fewer who would openly associate themselves with the word fat. Thirty-six-year-old Summit resident Kara Richardson Whitely, a reporter for Central New Jersey's Courier News and the author of Fat Woman on the Mountain: How I Lost Half of Myself and Gained Happiness, can declare she has accomplished both of these feats and so much more.
Kara, who grew up in Vermont and Canada, had always dreamed of scaling a mountain, but as an adult she found the only thing climbing was her weight.
On New Year's Eve in 2005, the then-30-year-old gave her 360-pound self an ultimatum: Time to get moving. By eating nutritious foods, kicking off weekday mornings at the gym, and hiking on trails from as nearby as Jockey Hollow to Camel's Hump in Vermont and the Grand Canyon, Kara conditioned her body until she was ready to tackle Mount Kilimanjaro - at 19,341 feet, Africa's highest peak. Through this training, Kara lost 120 pounds and adopted the motto: Do the things you want to do and the weight loss will follow.
Then, Kara had a thought: Why not use her training to raise money for a charity? "Kilimanjaro was going to be a huge undertaking," she says. "I needed a little extra something to get me to the top." When she discovered Global Alliance for Africa's AIDS orphans program, she knew it was a perfect fit: It was an opportunity to give back to the country that was providing her with a renewed sense of hope. To date, she has raised more than $16,000 for the organization.
After a five-and-a-half-day, 65-mile climb through rain forests and glaciers, Kara both reached the top of the mountain and achieved clarity. "I can put excuses in the way of exercise," she admits. "I couldn't excuse myself out of a workout when a kid needed fresh water or an education."
Almost one year to the day after she returned from Mount Kilimanjaro, Kara had her first child and found herself back in the rut of intention versus action. Determined to remain on task, she developed an initiative she coined the 'Save the World Workout' in which she would train for and then engage in a different physical challenge each month in 2009 and by doing so raise money for various charities. She developed a six-day-a-week workout regimen guided, in part, by her personal trainer, Heather Worthy. When selecting charities, Kara focused on causes that touched her personally. For example, she selected the American Heart Association's Start Heart event in honor of her father who suffered two heart attacks. Supporters followed her progress on her website, fatwomanonthemountain.com. "It's helpful to have a cause bigger than myself," she says, when asked how she stays motivated.
Kara has already climbed Mount Kilimanjaro twice but she is determined to conquer it once more - this time with a bit more fanfare. She is arranging a celebrity Kilimanjaro hike for charity in February 2011. Each one of the participants - still being determined at press time - has struggled with weight issues and will use the trek as a way to raise money for their individual selected cause. She is working with Emmy-winning producer Denise Cramsey, and director Scott Farquharson, to develop the concept into a television series.
"The excuse about not having time to work out - I let it evaporate because it's the most important thing I can do for myself each day," says Kara, who shares her experiences and inspires others through her blogs and coaching services. "I just need to keep moving forward because I get stronger with each step."
Learn more about Kara's Save the World Workout and read an interview with her trainer at njlhealthandbeauty.com NJL Health + Beauty tackles serious health issues using local experts and resources. We have all the tips and info you need to Live Your Ultimate Life. Find expert advice, recipes from the state's hottest chefs, upcoming events, exercise programs, and more!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexandria_Bachert