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Exercise in the Streets is a 501(c)(3) non profit which brings exercise and running to people who normally lack access and information about fitness. We bring free exercise and running classes to homeless shelters, jails, senior centers, and our most preferred location—right in the street in a neighborhood.
JUNE 2017
I went to Birmingham, Alabama, to compete in a sporting event. Birmingham has the highest obesity rate in the US for adults and children. I went downtown to what is considered one of the worst neighborhoods in Birmingham and saw boarded up houses, bad electrical wiring, trash, graffiti, and people sitting on porches. I waved when people stared at me and a couple of men came and asked me if my rental car was broken. No, I was just thinking I told them and we talked. A woman came and joined us and we all talked about work, the size of my waist, and obesity. One woman said, “Can you show me some exercises?”
I told them,” I’ll be back with a couple of friends on Saturday and I will put on a full exercise class, right there in front of their houses in the street, tell your friends maybe they will join us.” I got on the phone to a friend of mine at Whole Foods, they donated apples and water bottles, Amazon sent me exercise mats and towels.
We went back on Saturday, the trash was picked up and they were waiting for us. We blasted music from my rental car and I led a group of about 80 people in an exercise class while their kids rode bikes around us. It was beautiful.
I dreamed of doing this in every city, bringing the joy of exercise to impoverished neighborhoods.
I filled out 10 grant requests, didn’t raise one dollar.
2018
I was in Detroit, Michigan for another sporting event and again sought out a rough neighborhood. This time drug dealers came up and asked the girl with all the muscles what kind of drugs I was looking for. I laughed. They laughed and we talked and drank iced tea. As we talked I watched people come out of houses that looked abandoned and kids sneak out to see who the woman in the street was and what I was doing. I asked my new friends to help me show the kids in the neighborhood how to exercise. This time I was able to have a large speaker system from one of the neighbors and had over 100 people come workout and exercise in the streets and it felt like a party. It was wonderful. A local grocery store donated some healthy snacks and waters, while a Big 5 was able to donate exercise mats and towels.
2019
A couple of my clients were high school runners and I wanted them to have compassion for others less fortunate, and see the life I grew up in. I knew a sergeant who set it up so we could go in and do run clinics and an exercise class at Juvenile Hall. My personal training business had grown and now attracted attention from corporate sponsors. Nike called and asked how they could support me in ‘interesting ways’. Can you donate me shoes to give out at Juvy Hall?, I asked. They were thrilled and other corporate and private donations came in. I never asked anyone for a donation but we collected enough new shoes, clothes and money to give out
1405 pairs of running shoes
520 sweatshirts
did 19 run clinics at Juvenile Hall
We also met a kid in detention that touched one of my teenage clients. He was in jail for an assault charge and felt he would be tried as an adult and do 10 years. We paid for his lawyer so he didn’t have to use a public defender. He got his case dismissed, graduated high school in June of 2020 and will be attending Sacramento State in the Fall.
2020
At a race I met a young man, 11 years old in a wheel chair watching the runners. His mother told me he broke his back and has limited mobility in his lower body, not 100% loss but unable to walk. He said his current wheel chair was too small and not ok to do long miles. Exercise in the Streets bought him a wheel chair and he did his first 5k next to me.
We stopped going to Juvenile Hall due to Covid 19 but are starting up activities with the non-profit again. I feel now it is even more important to give away the joy of running and exercise.
We are doing a race on Los Gatos Creek trail which is free but we are asking for donation of shoes, clothing or money.
