Remember how I put out there a couple months ago that I had this Big Idea and I was SO excited but couldn’t tell anyone about it yet? Here it is, kids!
After 19 years, I am leaving Blank Children’s Hospital on a full-time basis. I am going to be running summer camps for kids and doing wellness coaching, leading beginning running groups, and mental health/running/outdoors groups for teens. To say that this is scary is an understatement! There are so many things to consider–income, benefits, back-up plan–but there are so many things that I am looking forward to as well. I am going to miss being at Blank every day. It has been truly a wonderful place to work with amazing people who make miracles–small and large–happen every day. I have met some wonderful people there who are not only my coworkers, but another family and my friends. If you are looking for a great place to work, I highly recommend it!
I have had a desire to do full-time wellness coaching for a long time. I have ideas about how I would like to inspire and assist families and individuals in creating healthier lifestyles for themselves. This may mean working on nutrition and physical activity, sleep, screen time and it may mean changing some habits to make their lives less chaotic and a little more functional. I personally know how life-changing running can be. Now put that running on dirt trails through the woods and prairies and down dirt and gravel roads and it can be an even bigger impact. This is something I want to share with people. I want to help others start their fitness journey and have it transform them in the ways that it has transformed me.
Many of the teens that come to me have something in common–depression. Research has shown that spending time in nature as well as regular physical activity can help lessen depression in conjunction with therapy and medication. Many of these kids want to be active, want to have a healthier lifestyle, want to lose weight, but they just can’t get themselves up and moving. That’s where I come in. Providing check-ins, accountability, and a person or group to go with you and get you moving.
Finally, the Big Idea. As I was sitting there one day watching a weeklong live webinar series that I had enrolled in, I realized another part of what I want to do. Summer Camps. For kids. Based out of my house. I want to take kids out and do the things that we are encouraging them to do, but that parents don’t always have the time to do. I mean…what are the things I’m good at? What are the things that I love? Kids, the outdoors, running. Taking those things and combining them just made sense. And so, Julia On The Edge’s Summer Camp Series was born!
I am working on revising this website to be more reader-friendly and to have all of the info you need to learn about the camps and to get your kids registered. As I am getting everything up and functioning, please reach out to me with any questions that you might have or to put your child on the list for a camp. There will be registration forms, a waiver, general info, and guidelines for kids that you will be able to print off. I will keep you updated with the site’s progress on social media.
I would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who is supporting me in this endeavor! All of you who have encouraged me, tolerated me, and gave me advice and perspective. It is going to be a great summer and I can’t wait to spend it outside getting with your kids!
Peace from the Edge,
Julia
