February Newsletter: Adventure + Inspiration + Wellness with Jill Wheeler
Adventure for LifeIt seems I have always struggled with balance between adventure + play + growing up + being responsible, especially in my early 20s. I still do grapple a bit, but I have carved out a niche in Adventure Therapy that makes my spontaneous adventures and wanderlust for travel a purposeful journey that does good for others beyond just myself and that is something I really enjoy!
THE CHALLENGE
Wellfit Institute is thrilled to announce we are partnering with Peaks Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) on a 5-month health, wellness and empowerment program for at-risk teen girls. Wellfit Girls Challenge will conclude with a life-changing trip to Peru and trek up Machu Picchu, one of the seven Modern Wonders of the World. The 11 carefully selected teen girls from Lee and Collier County will be featured in a full-length documentary as they embark on the expedition of a lifetime.
“The day I started believing in myself, there was no going back,” says Jill Wheeler, Founder & CEO of Wellfit Institute. “I wanted to create a curriculum that would empower teen girls and teach them that they can climb high in all areas of life.”
Throughout the five-month journey, Wellfit Girls Challenge will teach the girls about health, wellness, fitness, nutrition, leadership and most importantly, themselves. The curriculum includes weekly personal training sessions with Andrew Miranti, Director of Strength and Conditioning and Assistant Director of Sports Performance, at Total Athletic Performance, as well as group therapy and empowerment sessions, fitness activities, yoga, and more. The teens will receive expert leadership and personal growth coaching and counseling from Jill Wheeler and Debra Frenkel, licensed therapists at Wellfit Institute. Miranti, Wheeler and Frenkel are all donating their time and services.
THE TREK
In May, the girls will fly to Cusco, Peru and embark on an eight-day cultural exchange and trek of a lifetime. For most of these girls, it will be the first time they’ve traveled outside of the United States, and for some the state of Florida. Upon arriving in Cusco, they will meet a dozen Peruvian teens, and will be immersed into the daily life and traditions of nearby rural communities.
Over the course of the eight-day expedition the girls will have to adapt to a new culture, altitude, extreme temperature changes, physical challenges and more. They will tour the city of Cusco, participate in community-building projects, work with local artists and venture to sacred sites. They will visit a local community house and learn, first-hand, about the conditions in which the Peruvian children and their families live. The girls will join together to trek the Lares Trail in Peru, and reach both Huayna Picchu and the ruins of Machu Picchu, a 15th century Inca site, nearly 8,000 feet above sea level.
THE DOCUMENTARY
The entire journey will be filmed as a full-length documentary, but Wellfit Girls Challenge is more than just a movie, it’s a movement. The documentary, to be named later, will be showcased at major international film festivals and theaters across North America and throughout the world. The hope is for the film to have a global impact spreading the Wellfit Girls Challenge mentality that women and girls can change the world.
Jon Fitzgerald, a director/producer with over 20 years of experience in the motion picture business started filming in Naples the first week of January. “These girls have incredible stories to share, stories that will inspire other teens across the country and all over the world. The film touches on several key issues facing so many today. My hope is this documentary will inspire and empower others along the way,” says Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald is the Founder & CEO of CineCause, based in Los Angeles. CineCause uses social impact cinemas to affect change in communities across the country.
THE GIRLS
The girls range in age from 13 to 18 years old, and live all over Southwest Florida including in Marco Island, Naples, and Bonita Springs. From depression to insecurities to poverty, these girls face real issues and challenges in their daily lives. Each one has agreed to share their story and transformation along the way.
Their lives will be forever changed with new relationships and experiences to draw from. Through these adventures, these unlikeliest of heroes will share a new sense of discovery and achievement together, and as individuals. They are certain to undergo personal transformations, finding inspiration that will help to shape the future of their lives.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Click here to visit our First Giving Page. Any donation, big or small, will make a difference to these girls.
Follow our journey on Facebook. For more information on fundraising and sponsorship opportunities contact Colby Robertson at 715.297.6233.
New Year. New Adventures.MARCH 9, 2014FACKAHATCHEE STRAND8:30 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.$125 INCLUDES gourmet, organic Wellfit lunch, bike rental, yoga, + ADVENTURE!SPACE STILL AVAILABLEWellfitinstitute.com | 239.595.3199
January was an exciting month! I spoke at the eBella Magazine Bella Vita Women’s Conference and networked with intelligent, accomplished and inspiring women.
Damien LeRoy, our second speaker in the Adventure Speaker Series at lululemon, was entertaining, inspiring and FUN!Join us in late March for the amazing, kind, worldwide cycling humanitarian adventurer Ryan Van Duzer (exact date to be announced soon!)For now, check out Van Duzers fun video: Sh*t Cyclists Say.
I'm SO excited for all of this adventure that I am already thinking about NEXT year when it comes to big dreams + big adventures!