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Brooke Walker reportingThis morning we award a KSL High 5 to an individual who has dedicated many hours in effort to improve the health and lives of other women.
Julie Hansen loves to run and exercise. One year ago, she started "Women in Motion." It's a low-cost, group training program for women with a body mass index greater than 30. The goal is to help women reach their fitness goals and make healthy life changes one step at a time.
Only two days after completing the Boston Marathon, we found her sharing her love of health and exercise with a room full of women, each anxious to make their own life change.
Jana Whitby nominated Julie for the High 5. She said, "(With) the happiness and the fun and the energy she gives off in this class, she makes you feel important, that you can do it, that it will make a change in your life, and it has."
When we surprised Julie with the High 5, Jana told her, "You've just put in so much hard work and time with the Women in Motion program. I would have never been able to even participate in a marathon, let alone walk a few blocks. And with your help, it's been possible."
Julie says through their dedication, these women have taught her something, as well. "Just to overcome things, like aches and pains, schedules and just the discomfort they feel that they haven't felt before. Just to overcome all that and perform as they do is amazing," she said.
"The starting line is the starting line for a lot of things," she said. "It can be a starting line for anything: a new life, a new job, a new career, anything. So I think they can use this to step forward and maybe make some changes and continue this healthy path that they started."
Class member Jodi Dawson said, "She just makes you feel so good about yourself. Usually when people diet and exercise they get discouraged at some point. Julie just makes you feel like, I can do this!"
"Julie is making a huge difference because these women are going to spread this enthusiasm to people they know, and it's just going to catch on," Jodi continued.
The ladies of Women in Motion will participate in the 2008 Ogden Marathon on May 17. That's something many of them say they could not have dreamed of without Julie's help and encouragement.
If you have someone you would like to nominate for a KSL High 5, visit the link on this page.
