This month we are highlighting Camp Brookside Community Captain Teeya Mills to both show appreciation for her service and to showcase a little bit of her story. We hope it will resonate with some of our readers and motivate them to start their journey toward a healthy and active lifestyle change. We strongly believe that without the hard work and dedication of our Community Captains our mission would be impossible to achieve. They are dedicated to making their communities a happier, healthier, and an altogether brighter place to live. We are forever grateful for their service and passion for creating free opportunities for their community members to participate in.
Teeya grew up in the mountains and on the river in Hinton, West Virginia. She says she has “always embraced a physically active lifestyle” even though at the time she may not always realized it. Teeya grew up rafting and hiking and has not stopped moving since! In school she played basketball and ran track and cross country, and at 17 years old she began to skateboard professionally. Teeya now teaches skateboarding and coaches youth girls basketball in Summers County, “Go Orange”!
When asked what motivated her to become a leader and mentor in her community, leading the way for a more physically active community, Teeya responded, “Frowns motivated me to help others make positive changes. I am motivated when I feel good and I am smiling. Being physically active makes me feel good and smile. As I began to see more frowns and people struggling with depression and addiction I set out to make changes”. Teeya finds inspiration from the teachings of Gandhi who believed “You must be the change you wish to see in this world”.
Teeya’s advice for anyone who may be interested in volunteering as a Community Captain is, “If you are committed to any type of change there are no obstacles that cannot be overcome by perseverance, determination and maintaining a positive outlook.”
You can catch Teeya on the river at one of our free Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) programs at Camp Brookside. New River Gorge National River is one of 25 national parks selected to receive a 2016 Active Trails grant from the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. Through a unique partnership with New River Gorge National River and Active Southern West Virginia, the grant will bring a multitude of Get Active in the Park wellness programming to Camp Brookside, an emerging environmental education center located in Summers County, West Virginia. Active SWV Community Captain volunteers completed instructor certifications and skills certifications prior to teach wellness programs at Camp Brookside, including outdoor yoga, tai chi, stand up paddle boarding, fly fishing, archery and various guided hikes, including owl prowls, bird watches and plant identification hikes.
You can also stay connected with us by liking our main Facebook page Active Southern West Virginia, keeping up with our Events Calendar at activeswv.org, and following us on Twitter & Instagram (@activeswv).
