Drumroll, Please!

 WE DID IT! WE ARE IN! AFTER MONTHS, IN FACT YEARS OF HARD WORK, I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE WARRIOR ONE'S WORLD PREMIERE WILL BE HOME AT THE NAPLES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL!I am beyond grateful to NIFF and everyone one of you who have supported me through this journey. There were days and many many nights I questioned if this was going to be worthwhile and I know deep down that it is! I can't wait to show you (and the world) what we have created!TWO SHOW TIMES:FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7 AT 5:30 P.M. | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8 AT 5:15 P.M. THESE TWO SHOWINGS WILL SELL OUT - BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!

I’m baaaaaack!

I am going to out myself­­––in case you didn’t notice (I’m sure you were all glued to your inbox waiting for it, ha). I didn’t write a September newsletter.I was planning on getting to it, eventually. I have been writing, a lot, just not here. In fact, I have a semi-permanent eye twitch and temporary dry-eye-rapid-blinking disorder from so much screen time the past two months writing the narrative for the documentary I have been working on for the past couple years.

The Wellfit Girls program is a passion project and a labor of love. I have personally and professionally witnessed the power of adventure based programs to change people's lives in long-lasting, positive ways. From depression to living life fully and debilitating fear and isolation to climbing mountains and traveling the world, adventure lifts the veil of darkness and sets the stage for a new way of being that no longer fears and that is being comfortable with being uncomfortable. Being willing to get messy, be dirty, get lost and find our way again is the cornerstone of adventure therapy. Adventure and challenge, when used intentionally in programs like the Wellfit Girls Challenge, becomes a metaphor for life. We learn that we can climb any mountain we set our minds to, even mountains we didn't know existed. The unknown no longer becomes something to be feared, but something to be discovered and explored, like life.

The girls in this program face real life issues every day. A five month fitness, wellness, yoga and adventure program and an expedition to Peru won't take those issues away, but it has given this group of girls new tools and a more proactive and positive perspective to face their challenges.

To personally experience a girl's transformation from "I am not good at anything and have no worth" to "I am good enough as I am and know I can do anything I set my mind to" is the greatest success. This is my contribution. 

Many of you already know the documentary is called Warrior One. In Warrior One a group of teenage girls embark on a five-month training and leadership program, which takes them to Machu Picchu, one of the new 7 Wonders of the World. The Wellfit Girls Challenge is the opportunity of a lifetime, yet pushes the girls to the limit. From the beaches of Florida to the peaks of Peru, their adventure provides a path to personal discovery and transformation.In the beginning, yoga, fitness and leadership training are as foreign as the lands they come to visit. Over time, they embrace the opportunity for growth and dedicate themselves week after week. Their commitment to group principles and expedition behaviors ultimately unifies them. While there are setbacks and breakdowns throughout the adventure, success means redefining these obstacles as opportunities, which completely changes their lives for the better.The hope is for the film to have a global impact, sharing the mentality that women and girls can change the world.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 so many youth are facing today, from depression and anxiety to self-harm and abuse, body issues and poverty.My intention and deepest desire is for these girls’ stories to inspire and empower YOUR lives, to face your challenges and overcome your adversities. This is my offering to the world.We have a LOT coming up. I invite you to be a part of this movement. This past week we launched the trailer for Warrior One and a crowdfunding Indiegogo campaign to raise the remaining of the funds to complete this movie! We are SO close! Please check out the trailer. We hope you are inspired by it and will pass along to your friends and family.