This month we are highlighting Community Captain Erin Clay to show our 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.
In our daily lives we face obstacles that make it difficult for us to maintain a healthy lifestyle, Erin is a mother of three kids and always on the go, she understands the obstacle of not always having child care at your disposal. Erin’s solution is simple, “If you have kids, just bring them”! Erin has been leading our “Bring the Kids! Hiking Group” since summer and has been teaching Stand Up Paddle Boarding for our Get Active in the Park programs, both programs are free to join.
Erin was a cheerleader in high school, but it was her time in the military that left a lasting impression, “Through regular physical training I enjoyed feeling strong, capable, and small goals and self-confidence about my abilities began to emerge”. When asked what motivated her to become a leader and mentor in her community, leading the way for a more physically active community she responded;
“Physical activity is so good for people, not just physically but mentally. We have so many tough situations in our lives and when I see the change that can happen in someone’s quality of life when they become active I just want to spread that as much as possible. From postpartum depression to drug addiction and economic hardship – health and wellness can help you turn it around”.
Active SWV Community Captains are combating health barriers by providing free weekly physical activities to their communities. You can get involved by attending a program in your community or by becoming a Community Captain in your community. Erin’s advice for anyone who is trying to become more active is, “start small and get linked in with an encouraging group of people, Active Southern West Virginia is totally beginner friendly, and ain’t nothing to it but to do it”.
Erin is an avid volunteer, not just with Active SWV. She recently completed a 26 mile Xtreme Hike “I try to hike as often as possible for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Xtreme Hike with the Virginia Chapter. It’s usually between 25 and 31 miles in a day to raise funds and awareness for a cure for CF”.
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).
