Wellness Journeys spotlight the lives of ALA members who have successfully made changes to improve their wellness.

2008: William Crowe

My journey has been lifelong—to reach a “normal” level of body weight and maintain that weight and so good health. I can recall the whispers and snickering. There was the fourth grade physical examination (to be allowed to participate in sports) when I was found to weigh 100 lbs., and my summary dismissal from the pre-induction military draft physical screening, at age 21, when I came in at 314 lbs. There have been ups and downs in my weight over the years, but mostly I trended up. When I reached 300 lbs.

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2008: Jennifer Turner

Running a marathon was something I never thought I would want to do, much less actually accomplish. I was raised as a dancer, not a runner, and figured I’d never love running enough to train for 26.2 miles of continuous pavement pounding. I’ve since learned: never say never.

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2008: Kelli Ham

I used to be afraid. I was afraid to try almost anything that involved physical activity – hiking, skiing, playing softball, anything. I was afraid because I knew how hard physically it would be for me to do the activity. It may seem strange to think about an emotion like fear and the notion of wellness, or not being well. However, my path to wellness hinged on overcoming my fears.

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2008: Joanne Gard Marshall

About 12 years ago my life seemed to be getting increasingly difficult to manage. I had a full time job as a professor of library and information science at the University of Toronto and a myriad of other involvements in professional library associations. Then there was my family and the responsibilities of running a home. I could not figure out why my energy level was so low...

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