This is a sponsored post from Together Counts, a group we're thrilled to have as a partner! As part of our collaboration, they set me up with WNBA star Marie Ferdinand-Harris, now with the Phoenix Mercury. Marie is such an inspiration! Raised in a single-parent household, she credits basketball for teaching her many valuable life lessons, including the importance of eating right and staying healthy. Now married with a young son, she is passing along those healthy habits, and helping others along the way. During the years she was with the San Antonio Silver Stars, she was quite active in making that city--one of the nation's heaviest--a healthier one. (More on that in my interview with Marie, below.) That's why she partnered with Together Counts, because she knows what a difference one person, one family, and even one meal can make. Keep reading to learn more about Marie, but first, some more info on Together Counts: Together Counts is a nationwide program inspiring active and healthy living. The principle behind our program is Energy Balance, which means balancing the calories we consume with the calories we burn. Calories in, calories out. It’s that simple. Together Counts was started by The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, a CEO–led organization, that is a national, multi-year effort designed to help reduce obesity–especially childhood obesity–by 2015. It’s a first-of-its kind coalition that brings together more than 160 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, restaurants, sporting goods and insurance companies, trade associations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and professional sports organizations. The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation promotes ways to help people achieve a healthy weight through energy balance–calories in and calories out. It focuses on three critical areas–the marketplace, the workplace and schools. dailySpark: You're a mom. How did you introduce healthy habits to your son? Marie: My son loves sports (he's 5). So, I tell him if he's going to play sports, he has to make sure to stay hydrated and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables because it will help with endurance and make him a better player. He can understand when I tell him straight out, but I use sports talk to keep him motivated. Using this trick effect works for me. Every time he's playing—or even when he isn't playing—he drinks. And when we sit down to dinner it's not a struggle to have him eat broccoli, green beans and carrots because he understands that he needs to take care of his body in order to be a good player. dailySpark: What are some of your favorite activities as a family? Marie: Going to the park, for sure. Taking long walks. Being active with our son and just playing. We also play baseball and just run around together. dailySpark: What role does nutrition play in your training as a professional basketball player? Marie: It plays a big role because I want to be on top of my game at all times. Being on top of your game requires you to take care of your body so your body can work for you. I see the difference in how staying healthy really helps me to be better on the court and even after I get home from a game. I just have this energy! I eat healthy and hydrate. Before I played basketball, I didn't understand the importance of a balanced diet. It was through playing sports that I began to understand how valuable and important a healthy, active lifestyle really is. dailySpark: You were a member of the Mayor Fitness Council in San Antonio. What steps did you take to make that city healthier? Marie: Being a part of the Mayor Fitness council was such a privilege because I stand for health. Expressing the importance of eating healthy to young kids and adults is important. We're an obese city, so it was imperative to go out and speak to everyone in order to try and get San Antonio more active and eating healthier. It was right up my alley. dailySpark: Tell us about the Marie Ferdinand Basketball School of Excellence. What does it teach children? Marie: I am able to understand the importance of being healthy and staying active because my whole life story revolves around basketball. Playing a sport educated me in so many ways—ways that the average parent doesn't understand. I encourage parents to put their kids in sports because it isn't just about learning how to put a ball in a hoop. Playing sports teaches you life lessons. I grew up in a single parent home with seven children. My mom was never around to instill certain life skills. Instead, I learned these skills from playing basketball. The Marie Ferdinand Basketball School of Excellence is an academy that will focus on providing basketball development training for kids, plus life skills components that will educate them on health, fitness, wellness, social skills, social awareness and character building. The academy will help make children better basketball players and better people. dailySpark: Why is it so important for parents to be involved in teaching healthy habits to their kids? Marie: It's all about teamwork. That's why I always stress that it isn't just about going out there and teaching the kids, but to also get parents on board. dailySpark: At SparkPeople, we stress the importance of setting small goals on the road to achieve larger ones. We also encourage members to reward themselves for reaching those small goals. How important is goal-setting in your life, and what are some of your current goals? Marie: Goal-setting is very important. If you don’t set goals, you're more likely to be content with what you have and where you're at in life. Goal-setting always keeps you reaching for something more and better instead of settling for what you already have. Goals have always been important to me in terms of not just sports, but life in general. My goal is to continue to make a difference in my community by educating youth and parents on how important it is—more now than ever—to eat right and be active. In order to do this I will continue to be a dominating basketball player so I have the means to go out and provide the message. The 'nPlay Foundation is a coalition of 37 professional athletes, both active and retired from 16 sports, who have united to fight the childhood obesity epidemic in America. This core group has developed 'nPLAY, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) foundation. The goal is to raise money that can be put directly back into schools so they can obtain the tools to change the culture inside to one of health and wellness and meet the criteria of the USDA’s HealthierUS Schools Challenge. This group of world class athletes has committed themselves on both a national and local level to help and encourage students', teachers and parents strive for a healthier lifestyle so our children can have the futures they deserve. 'nPlay is a peer-to-peer movement where one athlete asks another to join. www.nplayfoundation.org We urge you to visit the Together Counts website and take their pledge! Will you?  |
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