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. We are highlighting Lookout Community Captain Regina Jones Wood to both show appreciation for his 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.
Regina is a nurse for the New River Health Association, she began being more physically active to improve her mood because she recognized the endorphins released after exercise help fight depression and stress. She is also expecting her second grandchild soon and want to improve her energy levels to play with and keep up with her grandchildren. Regina has always been physically active, but has only recently started to take it seriously. She has walked in a 5K and is currently training to run in a 5K, with the ultimate goal of training for a 10K. It’s her hope that her transformation can inspire others in her community.
When asked, “How do you overcome the obstacles that make it hard to maintain a physically active lifestyle in our hustle and bustle life?” She responded,
“Make it happen. Take a walk at lunch. I carry a gym bag in my car with thermals, toboggan, gloves etc. This ensures you are prepared for the weather, so no excuses. It gets dark early this time of year, so I bought an inexpensive headlamp. Some nearby gyms offer a 3 month membership, which is perfect for winter. Find other people that are interested in a healthy lifestyle.”
Regina is inspired by her friends and family who also want to train for a 5K, so she decided to take the lead and become a Community Captain in the Lookout community to coach a beginner to 5K training team. It’s her hope that through this process more people in her community will enjoy recreating outside and in the community. Be on the lookout for a Spring start date for Regina’s beginner to 5K team in Lookout!
And her word of encouragement for those thinking about joining her: “You can go from couch potatoe to a 5k. Weather you walk it or run it. When you begin to see progress it is motivating. Take small steps to a happier healthier you.”
We are so excited to have Regina on our team and are still recruiting Community Captains in the communities of Smithers, Gauley Bridge, Ansted, Pax, Meadow Bridge and all points in between! As winter approaches we are specifically looking for indoor programming opportunities and are willing to help get that programming started whether it be Zumba, Yoga, seated exercise, aerobics, hoop dancing, you name it and we’ll help you get it started. Contact Program Assistant Courtney Roark at [email protected] or 304-254-8488.
