My name is Madison and I am eighteen years old. I am a senior at Fort Myers High School. I moved to Fort Myers four years ago from my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio and I have loved my new home since. I choose the hot summers of Florida over the freezing snows of Ohio winters any day. Despite the distance, I am still very close to my family in Ohio. My mother works for Delta Air Lines, so I am lucky enough to fly home and visit them often – especially during the holidays! For fun, I enjoy playing golf, taking weened trips to Disney, going for a run after school, and having Lord of the Rings movie marathons with my friends. I first heard about the Wellfit program when I was volunteering at the freshman orientation at the beginning of this year. A announcement was made over the intercom that described the program and invited any interested girls to attend the informational meeting they were holding. The idea of the opportunity to travel to Peru and scale mountains was so exciting that I grabbed a couple of my friends and dragged them to the meeting. The passion the coaches showed was inspiring and I knew that I had to be involved. This journey so far has opened my eyes and taught me a lot about myself. Before the program, I was never the biggest fan of running, especially after a long grueling day of school, but the program has introduced me to the accomplished feeling that comes with taking the initiative to work out and improve myself. Now, I can’t imagine what my life would be like without the support of my Wellfit family. By the end of the program I will have cultivated a close group of friends that I can rely on in the future. I also hope to improve my habits of diet and exercise so that I can live a more well-rounded and healthy life. I would like the program to teach me how to take control of my health so that I can live life on my own terms. My biggest challenge over the next five months will be fundraising money for Peru’s Challenge. I have always be very independent, and the idea of asking others for money is not the most comfortable thing for me. However, Wellfit has encouraged me to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and I think this experience will benefit me in the future. My favorite form of exercise has to be running. Though it is not always the easiest workout to complete, I can’t help by love seeing my progress. Pushing myself to the next level during a run allows me to approach my life with more confidence. It means so much to me to prove to myself that I am able to take the initiative and commit to being a healthier person. If I could live anywhere, I would live on the islands of Turks and Caicos. Lying on the beach has always been one of my favorite things to do because the sound of the ocean takes away all of my cares. The beautiful beaches of the islands would be the perfect place for me to tan, relax, and have fun.
