Participant Best of All – Claire’s Inspiring Progress in Fitness and Teen Kitchen

Claire is Determined!

When we think of exercise, we often think of the grueling workouts and that can often deter us from exercising at all. When fun is incorporated and that is mixed with friends then exercise isn’t so bad after all.

Meet Claire, a teen participate who is learning to try new things and push her limits especially in exercise. Claire participates in our Friends, Fun and Fitness program. Our Friends get together every Tuesday night for physical activity, social interaction and a healthy snack, tailored just for them. It is one of our most popular programs and Claire is loving it!

Claires Mom shared, “Two weeks ago, (Tuesday, April 9 I believe), Claire came out of the GiGi’s fitness class beaming and said, “Wow, that was SO fun!” Cass helped out that day and said attendance was really good, so it might made things extra exciting.”

Another volunteer, Dakota shared “Claire challenged herself in fitness class by pushing deeper into squats and giving her all in each repetition.” Determination and motivation comes in all shapes and areas. Having friends around to motivate and to challenge you in a fun way can make that workout not so bad after all.

Claire also participates in our GiGi’s Teen Kitchen, which is designed to emphasize the importance of health and wellness through nutrition education, kitchen safety, food preparation, social activities and a shared meal/snack. It also assists in building participants self-esteem and self-confidence through nutrition and wellness.

Claire’s Mom shared “I’ve also been getting Claire more involved with meal prep and cleanup at home as a result of GiGi’s. She definitely prefers meal prep to cleanup. 😆”

The recipes utilized in our Kitchen program are made to encourage choice, exploration and challenge in hopes our participants will try some of them at home. Claire has certainly worked on this by trying new foods and sharing that experience with her Mom.

Claire’s Mom also shared “Mostly GiGi’s has been helpful to get her to try new things and for the social interaction. I see her face light up when she enters the room and hears one of the helpers call out her name enthusiastically, plus some of the other students like Clark and Nena are so welcoming to her.”

We love to hear how participants can be those vital peer mentors to each other and how volunteers encourage exploration and growth!

If you are interested in GiGi’s Teen Kitchen (3rd Saturday) or Friends, Fun Fitness (Every Tuesday) as a participant or volunteer please contact sandiego@gigisplayhouse.org