A role model is someone others respect and look to as a good example. They try to make good decisions, put others first and often imitated by those around them. They “think before they act….not act before they think.” They are the people we want our children to be around, whether it is a teacher, coach or family member. Your Health Journal wanted to highlight some special individuals who are good role models and allow them to share their stories here. Enjoy!
1. Your name, title, and age? What do you do (or did you do) for a living?
My name is Elisa Robyn, PhD. I am 64 years old and am a Wealth Relationship Psychologist.
2. Who was the person that inspired you as a child to eat healthily and stay fit? What was their relationship to you?
My inspiration to become healthy came from an event rather than a person. When I was 18 I left Los Angeles to go to school in Flagstaff Arizona at Northern Arizona University. I was majoring in Geology, a field I fell in love with. Even though I had enjoyed hiking and skiing when I lived in LA, I did not have much opportunity to actually be involved in these activities. However, geology required that I hike in the field.
3. What did they do to inspire you?
The real change came when we were told that we would be hiking into and out of the Grand Canyon. At this point all the geology students became runners. I was in a gym class at the them and when I spoke with the teacher about my lack of athletic abilities, she pulled me in front of a mirror and showed me the many ways that I had an athletic body. I told her that I had suffered from asthmatic bronchitis before I moved and she told me that I could sick in a chair and be sick or work out and be healthy.
4. How did their lesson change your life?
I started running and working out and became a vegetarian. Working out saved my life many years later when I needed emergency surgery for a dangerous intestinal issue. The Doctor told me that the only reason I was alive was that I was a runner and had a strong heart. This has kept me working out throughout my life.
5. Do you convey their message to kids in your life presently?
I work out with people younger than me and often point out my age in relation to theirs when they say they are getting too old to work out. Or when they say that getting older if really hard.
6. What would be your main message to children today to lead healthy lifestyles?
It is so fun to be able to participate in and try many activities. They never have to try team sports, but might love dancing or hiking or riding a bike. They will enjoy the world more and feel happier and stronger. People who work out and eat healthily tend to be richer in every area of their lives
7. Do you have a web site you would like to promote….web address only?