After an extensive search for a Volunteer Director to continue growing our Community Captain program, we have found the perfect fit and are excited to announce it to our supporters, ambassadors, partners, and volunteers. Join us in welcoming Becka Lee to the Active Southern West Virginia team.
Lee is from Louisville, Kentucky and studied Anthropology and Archaeology at Eastern Kentucky University. She has worked in West Virginia for the past year as the Centennial Volunteer Ambassador for the National Park Service-New River Gorge National River as an AmeriCorps member. Becka has been involved in Active Southern West Virginia programs such as Fayetteville Mile Monday and also volunteers with Generation New River Gorge.
Lee says her love for the outdoors has been the driving factor behind her active lifestyle. She hit a breakthrough when she joined a trail crew a few years ago which required hiking high mileage day after day with a heavy pack. Enduring that she soon realized how much of a positive impact being physical active consistently had on her mood and physique.
She has been physically active from a young age when she began horseback riding lessons to help build her confidence, she says that’s really when she realized that “I can’t” was just in her head and that she could do anything she set her mind to. From there she played volleyball through high school and now she stays active by hiking, trail running, and mountain biking.
When asked what motivated her to become a community leader she says, “I have met such kind people in my time in West Virginia; they have welcomed me and really made me feel at home. I want to help the community I am in become happy and healthy. I have seen the direct benefits of fitness in my personal life and want to help others achieve this happiness.”
She admits there are challenges to maintaining a physically active lifestyle, but she has a few remedies to combat the hustle and bustle of busy days. She says it can be tempting to want to rest after a long day, but her love for nature is her most immediate remedy to maintaining consistency. If there is a day when she is just not feeling it, she knows she can always find peace by taking a hike, run, or bike into the woods. She also says that finding variety in her workouts keeps it interesting; the thrill of learning something new like mountain biking, stand up paddle boarding, or rock climbing. Everyone is different and has their own way of coping and prioritizing what’s important, even on busy days. She is excited to help southern West Virginians figure out how they will overcome their challenges.
Lee will be directing the Community Captain program to continue recruiting, training, mentoring, programming, and retaining the volunteer force which is the foundation of Active Southern West Virginia. Her compassion for the people of this region paired with her skills in team building and communications will continue to drive this organization towards it’s mission of creating more opportunities for communities to be physically active, ultimately improving the health of the workforce.
Becka Lee is available to meet with anyone interested in starting a weekly group in their community. Contact her at [email protected]
Her philosophy on Community Captain recruitment is to quote Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
