By Holly Schurter
Women face all kinds of obstacles when it comes to developing healthy habits. Busy schedules, the needs of other family members, work responsibilities — who has time to take care of herself while taking care of everyone else? When medical issues do come up, finding time and energy to deal with them, or to nurture healthy habits, can be difficult obstacles to overcome.
It might be helpful to hear from Jackie Joyner-Kersee, an Olympic gold medalist who, as a college athlete, overcame a diagnosis of asthma to become a world-class athlete. Joyner-Kersee will give the keynote address at the 19th Annual Women’s Health Night sponsored by The Illinois Heart and Lung Foundation
The event will take place at Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center from 3:00pm until 7:00pm on Tuesday April 25, 2017. Attendees can visit over 70 health, wellness, and business vendors during the event, which also features free childcare, free health screenings, a Fun Run, and valet bicycle parking by Bloomington Cycle and Fitness. Vendors and booths will close at 6:00pm for Joyner-Kersee’s keynote address.
Sarah Gliege, coordinator of the Women’s Health Night, says, “We decided to ask Jackie Joyner-Kersee to be our keynote speaker this year, not just because she is a world-class athlete and Olympian, but because she exemplifies overcoming obstacles to achieve her goals.”
Jackie Joyner-Kersee grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, but was determined to excel in sports as a way to overcome the difficulties of poverty. With her brother Al, also an Olympic gold medalist, she trained hard, graduated in the top ten percent of her high school graduating class, and went on to attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as a student athlete.
While a student there, Joyner-Kersee was diagnosed with severe asthma. The diagnosis could have derailed her dreams of competing, but she disciplined herself to take the prescribed medications and to follow her doctor’s instructions.
Joyner-Kersee, who has said, “It’s better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret,” went on to excel both scholastically and athletically at UCLA. She competed in four Olympics (winning gold, silver, and bronze medals), as well as other prestigious competitions around the world, setting world records as she competed. After retiring from competition, she established the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, which works to see that young people, families, and communities have the resources they need to enhance the quality of their lives.
There is no charge to attend the Women’s Health Night, and the event is also open to men, children, college students, families, and anyone interested in learning more about health services available in the Bloomington-Normal area. Visitors will learn about ways to improve overall health, receive tips for developing healthier habits, be able to participate in health screenings, experience encouragement toward good health, and have fun the whole time.
Long-time attendees will notice the event takes place in a new venue. According to Gliege, the Women’s Health Night was held previously at Bone Student Center. However, Gliege says, “The Bone Student Center is under construction this year. While it is a wonderful venue, it may have been difficult for some of our attendees to navigate the construction to get in and out of the event with ease.”
“The Shirk Center,” says Gliege, “has been wonderful to work with, and we are excited to utilize this new venue which allows for more vendors, a separate speaking area for our speaker, and ample parking for vendors and guests.”
Whether you are looking for encouragement, the tools to develop healthy habits, or just a bit of fun, the Women’s Health Night is a ticket to overcoming obstacles to better health. More information is available online www.ihlf.org or you may call 309-556-8307.