Williamsburg ReC CENTER 2018 - my hooping/MS journey with my friend Michelle!

2016 at the Bythe Farm - A great place to have a hoop class! 

As I HOOP my way to the Wahls Protocol Seminar for the second year in a row, I am putting myself "out there" in ways I find exciting and a little bit scary!

This morning I taught a hoop fitness class in Williamsburg, IA. I graduated from Williamsburg Community High School in 1981, 37 years ago! Hoop class today was at the Williamsburg Recreation Center. A building and place that did not exist when I lived in Williamsburg. It is a beautiful building and a great place to have a class. I was excited to be there! I had eight people come to class today. Two were school mates from 1981, one was Michelle and the rest of the people are new friends! This story revolves around my friend Michelle. 

The class went great and the attendees were full of life, energy, determination and laughter! I was nervous. What is no one showed up? And my brain was fretting with thoughts like, What if I made a fool of myself? What then? It seemed I was feeling a bit like an insecure high school girl! LOL ​

2018 - Williamsburg Rec Center - Hoola Fit happiness! 

How did I get to the Rec Center in Williamsburg, IA?
Three years ago I was scheduled to go to the Wahls Protocol Seminar as an attendee. A gift to me from my husband. He was sending me to Cedar Rapids, IA. That same year my high school was having our 35 class reunion an hour away from Cedar Rapids, the weekend before. So I planned to go to the reunion, and then stay until the conference began. The reunion was where I first met Michelle, the wife of Doug my classmate. Through conversations I found out Michelle had be diagnosed with MS two year prior. At this point in my life I was 4 years into my MS journey. Sadly I made Michelle cry when I introduced myself. I said, "I hear we are kindred spirits." With a beautiful warm smile she said, "Why?" I answered, "We both have MS." This was not what she was expecting to hear and she burst into tears. I felt horrible, that I made her cry. We talked that weekend and a friendship formed. We talked about MS, Terry Wahls, hula hooping and food. We parted ways and I went the conference. 

In 2016, I brought my hoop with me. ONE HOOP. In the morning I hooped in quiet corners and during breaks I would find spaces to just move and take a break from sitting. I met Terry on picture day and she had all kinds of questions for me about my hoop. I hooped with Terry that day and she suggested, maybe I could come back to the seminar with my hoop and share. 

Fast forward to the spring of 2017 I got and email from Dr. Terry asking me if I would share hooping and my story at her seminar. I was to the moon excited. I ran to tell my husband that I got and email from Terry Walhs!!!! I prepared for months to make sure I would be perfect for Terry at the seminar. 

As the seminar approached, I also contacted Michelle and asked if she would be interested in hooping with me. I offered to go to her house in Williamsburg and have a hoop class with her. She accepted and that is exactly what I did. I was staying with another friend the weekend before the seminar and went out to Doug and Michelle's farm the Sunday before the seminar. I arrived and she had four people with her. Her friends and family who were there to support her choice to try out hooping. It was a beautiful Iowa day. The sun was shining, the farm field were green and lush and a breeze was blowing. Under the shade of the big trees on her front lawn was a perfect place to hoop that day. And that is what we did!  Admittedly it was surreal when Doug (my classmate) came driving down the road in the big semi and all of us were hooping on the front lawn. A few cars drove by too. I could hear the buzz of the neighbors (in my head),  What was happening on the Bythe farm? A bunch of crazy ladies with hula hoops!!!! It was outstanding. And again I made Michelle cry! As I got out to the car and unload hoops, I walked up and hugged and she started crying again! 

2017 This is a day I will never forget. 36 years post graduation hooping on a classmate's lawn - Just CRAZY! 

We met this morning and Michelle did not cry, but said she almost did! LOL too funny and so wonderful. So last year when I had that lovely hoop circle on Michelle and Doug's front lawn someone suggested that the Rec Center in town would maybe like a hoop class. Over the course of the last year I, reached out the the program planner about bringing some hoop classes to Williamsburg. I chatted with Michelle about having the classes benefit the Wahls Foundation and we agreed that, that was a wonderful avenue. 

This is the two year story of how, after graduating from WHS in 1981, that I ended up hula hooping in the Williamsburg Rec Center this morning. 37 yeas post graduation!

I want to thank Nikki Vance for listening to me when I called her up one day and proposed the hoop classes when I was to be in town. I want to thank Michelle Blythe for her friendship and compassion and spirit for trying new things and being my partner in bringing Hoola Fit to Williamsburg. I want to thank my friend's who continue to support me in my MS and Hoop Journey Andrea, Brenda, Vicki and Julie - My Iowa journey always includes you all. Bless you! 

Today I woke up wondering how the day was going to go and I was nervous as I was putting myself "out there" in a new way. Guess what? My day was awesome and the nervousness left as soon as I started talking about hula hooping and why it is so awesome!  Talk about a great day! Thanks Williamsburg Hooper you are WONDERFUL! 

​And Michelle - our journey continues! 

Lakeside fitness 2018

Looking forward to 2019~