Active Southern West Virginia takes great pride in its Community Captains. We strongly believe that without them our mission would be impossible. 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. This month we are highlighting Hico Community Captain Sue Slater to both show appreciation for her service and to showcase a little bit of her story. We hope it will resonate with Fayette County and beyond residents and motivate them to start their journey toward a healthy and active lifestyle change.
Sue has always valued having a physically active lifestyle, she moved to West Virginia in the 1980s to become a white water rafting guide. Sue has a background in skiing, biking, and running, but right now predominately hikes the trails in the New River Gorge. She was recently hired as an AmeriCorps VISTA health worker to promote health programs in Fayette County so she wanted to start the Trail to a New You walking group in an effort to combine the health benefits of walking with the social benefits that stem from positive community connections. As a nurse she is always hearing about prevalent ailments in the area so she wanted to set the example and be a positive role model. She says, “Just because West Virginia tops a lot of the worst health lists, doesn’t mean we have to stay there.” Sue is also actively involved in the Fayette County Family Resource Network and the Fayette County Living Well Workgroup.
Sue combats the challenges of maintaining a physically active lifestyle in the hustle and bustle of life by incorporating it into her daily routine; she walks every morning with her daughter. When asked, “Do you have any words of encouragement for people thinking of becoming a Community Captain or interested in committing to becoming more physically active?” She responded,
“As a VISTA, I will be passing the baton eventually to another community member. Remember these words: ‘The true charm of pedestrianism does not lie in the walking, or in the scenery, but in the talking. The walking is good to time the movement of the tongue by, and to keep the blood and the brain stirred up and active; the scenery and the woodsy smells are good to bear in upon a man an unconscious and unobtrusive charm and solace to eye and soul and sense; but the supreme pleasure comes from the talk.’ -Mark Twain”
Sue leads the Trail to a New You walking group every Saturday at 10am on the Midland Trail High School Track. Anyone is welcome (especially beginners) to join the group at any time and encouraged to bring a friend! Keep up with the Active Southern West Virginia Bulletin Board Facebook group for updates/cancellations.
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/events, and following us on Twitter & Instagram (@activeswv).
We are so excited to have Sue on our team and are still recruiting Community Captains in the communities of Smithers, Gauley Bridge, Pax, Meadow Bridge, and all points in between! Contact us at [email protected] or 304-254-8488.
