St. Albans resident Janice Smithson is the November Participant of the Month
Janice has been a resident of St. Albans for about thirty years, but grew up in Scott Depot. You can often find her at our Nitro Tai Chi for Arthritis programs on Monday mornings at 9:30 am at the West Sattes Community Center.
Janice is active because it’s a habit that she has maintained for more than 30 years. She loves walking and hiking, and gets antsy if she has to take a few days off. Janice says she grew up “semi-feral”, and did a lot of roaming around on her bicycle as a young child.
Once in college, Janice became less active and gained some weight. After graduation she got a job as a freshwater biologist, and spent her days exploring creeks. Janice is now retired, and walks about 5 miles every day and does yoga at least three days a week. “I want to stay healthy and flexible so I can maintain my independence and age gracefully,” says Janice.
Joining Active SWV provides challenging and fun ways for everybody to become active. The earlier one starts making an active lifestyle a priority, the greater the benefits down the road.
To see our current free program offerings, check our website calendar.
If you’ve thought of other activities that you’d like to see in your community, consider becoming a volunteer Community Captain and leading one yourself! Community Captains lead the way for people to live healthier lifestyles in southern West Virginia. Fill out our interest form to get started.
