Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sea Legs in Training: Bay Area Boot Camp and the Tall Ship Education Academy Join Forces Community Partnership Prepares Teen Girls for Semester at Sea Program

San Francisco, CA/October 1, 2006 – Despite an overall increase in female participation in athletics over the past several generations, and despite the passage of the federal Title IX law to insure funding for women’s sports at the college level, Nettie Kelly is still dumbfounded by the lack of encouragement for girls to participate in sports.

As the Executive Director of San Francisco’s Tall Ship Education Academy, Kelly works with teenage girls from low-income communities who take part in the organization’s Semester for Girls program. The program, a six-week sailing adventure that develops participants’ physical and mental strength, is also designed to increase their self-confidence.

According to Kelly, teenage girls lack the support they need to incorporate physical activity into their lives, “Their health is neglected. I ask the girls in our program if they’ve ever participated in team sports, and most of them say no.”

As a marathon runner, avid hiker, sailor, and wilderness leader, Kelly serves as an example to the girls in her program, living her commitment to stay in top physical shape. Hoping to amp up her already intense exercise routine, she joined Bay Area Boot Camp.

Two thirds of the way through her first boot camp session, she noticed herself getting stronger and feeling good about doing something active every day. After a few months, Kelly approached Bay Area Boot Camp about the possibility of establishing a community partnership.

“[Bay Area Boot Camp Co-founder] Heather [Glenn] realized that our organizational missions are in sync. Teamwork is as integral to Boot Camp as it is to our programs. We’re both looking to empower women and girls.”

In the spring of 2006, Bay Area Boot Camp coaches started training participants in the Tall Ship Semester for Girls program, helping them develop the strength and balance they need to thrive for six weeks at sea.

According to Kelly, the Bay Area Boot Camp-Tall Ship Education Academy partnership continues to grow.

“Bay Area Boot Camp also provides fundraising support for the 3-day Women’s Sailing Challenge, an adventure voyage that explores sailing in and beyond the Bay and raises awareness about Tall Ship Academy programs.”

Bay Area Boot Camp co-founder and CEO Heather Glenn sees the company’s support of the Tall Ship Academy as an extension of its mission to help women and girls live healthy, balanced lives.

"We want people of all ages and all fitness levels to know what it means to lead an active life,” Glenn said, “We’re really proud to be working with the Tall Ship Academy and making a difference in the lives of girls who wouldn’t ordinarily have access to the kind of training we provide.”

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.

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