As a child, I wasn’t the most athletic.
As a result I stayed uninterested in getting active, until the summer of 1996.
I was mesmerized by one athlete in particular, gymnast Dominique Dawes.
Thomas Barwick
She looked like me!
Dominique was the only brown face on her team and one of few in the sport.
I felt connected to her, and that summer I knew I was destined to be a gymnast.
DJ Akisanya
I practiced dismounts from kitchen tables and couches, proudly sticking landings with my head and arms high.
Seeing her compete in the Olympics encouraged me in a way that I had not been encouraged before.
It made me feel proud.
Ilya Parker (left)
Representation is empowering, andit’s needed especially in the wellness space.
Many times we associate certain activities with specific sociodemographic factors like race, age, and income.
And in the age of the internet, media can either perpetuate these perceptions or encourage an alternate narrative.
Pamela Urcid
Today, I am not a gymnast but aregistered dietitian.
We dont hike, we dont swim, and we only eat certain vegetables.
When it comes to wellness, diversity in representation helps on many levels.
Raul E. Diego-Freeglass.press
It may inspire them to try a new activity, the way watching Dominique Dawes did for me.
It can even challenge others in the wellness community to have a more inclusive mindset.
According to the Commission on Dietetic Registration,75 percent of registered dietitians and registered dietitian nutritionists are white.
Zoe Litaker Photography
Were not alone in our quest for change.
Owens says shes seen the #SpikedSquad do great things.
The two things that inspire me most are [my clients] increased confidence and shifted mindset.
Shannon Wagner (middle row, second from right)
Parker and Forseca met during one of Big Js frequent hospital stays when Parker was his physical therapist assistant.
The two quickly bonded over shared experiences.
After becoming friends, Forseca was unfortunately hospitalized a final time.
I made a promise to honor his dying wishes.
Alicia Tillman (Awkward Yoga Girl) describes herself as a black woman with thick thighs that save lives.
She began teaching yoga in a studio with little diversity and a lot of Lululemon.
Over time shes crafted her own teaching style and brought her personality to a more diverse community.
I love to bring humor into classes!
This allows people to let their guard down and really let the yoga happen.
I will say pretty much what everyone is thinking: This is hard!
or Man, its hot and she trying to kill us!
I want people to be real with themselves and love themselves for it.
Tillman has grown her business and brand to create events like Trap Yoga and Tacos.
The event culminates in a giant crowd swag surf.
But students loved it!
At the event, I noticed the craziest thing: black people!
I am usually the only one in the studio or there are less than five in any class.
Looking at the crowd and seeing all my brothers and sisters who came to yoga was huge.
This content can also be viewed on the site itoriginatesfrom.
Rina Jakubowicz is an international bilingual yoga teacher, Reiki practitioner, motivational speaker, and author.
She decided to do teach it herself.
She later connected with the former CEO of Kripalu, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to yoga.
Together they pioneered the first formal Spanish Yoga Teacher Training in the U.S., accredited by Yoga Alliance.
Jessamyn Stanley invites all bodies, all abilities, and all levels to join her on the mat.
Stanley is based in North Carolina but has taught all over the world.
My mission is to harvest compassion within myself as a way of spreading compassion to others, she says.
The organizations mission is to build stronger communities through increased access to strength training.
Deanna Belleny is a registered dietitian and public health practitioner in Boston.
