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AlaVie Fitness Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Bay Area Boot Camp Trains Latina Moms: San Jose, CA/November 21, 2006 – According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, obesity is 1.5 times more common among Latina women than in the general female population. Unfortunately, these ladies are often too busy taking care of their families to devote time and resources to their personal well-being. Latinas in the Bay Area are no exception, which is why the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative (BAWSI) teamed up with Bay Area Boot Camp to help teach these women how to incorporate health and wellness into their lives – and the lives of their families -- through the Salud por Vida (Health for Life) program. Salud por Vida targets mothers of participants in the BAWSI Girls program, which provides 3rd-5th grade girls in at-risk communities with individual coaching and mentoring by top female college athletes in weekly after-school fitness sessions. Reaching out to mothers is crucial to sustaining the fitness lessons the girls acquire through the BAWSI Girls program, since mothers are the main decision-makers when it comes to taking care of their families’ health. In November, Bay Area Boot Camp coaches organized the kick-off session of the Salud por Vida program at Washington Elementary School in San Jose. For four weeks, twenty-five low-income mothers from the surrounding community participated in a rigorous routine of cardiovascular, resistance and strength exercises to bring their bodies into balance. According to Mary Beth Gonzales, co-founder and COO of Bay Area Boot Camp, the company has collaborated with BAWSI since its founding in 2004, providing fitness expertise, funds, and coaching assistance. Gonzales considers it a privilege to be a part of the Salud por Vida program, “We’re proud of our expanding partnership with BAWSI – and we’re so glad to be involved in Salud por Vida. The program is near and dear to my heart – and to our company’s mission to make health and fitness accessible to all women.” According to BAWSI Executive Director Marlene Bjornsrud, one of the explanations for Salud por Vida’s success is that it provided a team atmosphere. “This was a first for these women. None of them had ever participated in organized sports,” Bjornsrud said. “Every single woman who came to the program was grateful, excited, and sad that it ended,” she added, “The Bay Area Boot Camp coaches made them feel very special and helped them discover a new-found love for exercise.” Salud por Vida participants were so enthusiastic after the inaugural session that they requested another in Spring, 2007. “My answer?” Bjornsrud said, “I’ll do everything possible to make that happen!”
ABOUT ALAVIE FITNESS:
Founded in 2004, AlaVie Fitness (formerly Bay Area Boot Camp) is a fitness organization dedicated to helping people achieve their wellness goals and to making a genuine contribution to community health. Since launching its first camp for women in San Francisco, the company has added locations in San Mateo, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Campbell, and Walnut Creek, along with evening and co-ed camps, personal training, physical therapy, and massage services. CONTACT:
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