Title: CPT, LMT
Company name: Set For Fitness
Website: ww.setforfitness.com
Address: 874 Hibicus Street
Boca Raton, FL 33486
Phone: 561 251-4164
Fax: 561 361-7353
E-mail: st13@aol.com


Community Involvement

• Hospice By The Sea – Volunteer in nursing homes giving comfort for the dying. Part of Careforce of Hospice By The Sea, helping raise more than 878,000 to provide financiala ssistance to patients without insurance or the means to pay for Hospice Programs.
• Achievement Center in Delray – Saving the environment by selling Tote bags, which all the funds collected will be donated to the Achievement Center. Reducing footprints and changing lives – one TOTE at a time. The Achievement Center helps serve children in protective services that are abused, abandoned or neglected and low-income children considered “at-risk”. Low income parents who are employed or in work training programs. Low Income guardian-care takers. Teenage parents in school full time.
• Boca Raton CERT Team – Team Leader for Zone 8 in the City. A official emergency preparedness program of FEMA ( Federal Emergency Management Agency). Boca CERT Teams are designed to be coordinated at the neighborhood level by a designated CERT leader. CERT program is designed to be a partnership between the city and local neighborhoods that will ultimately reduce the death, injury and property loss of major disasters.
• Tri-County Humane Society – Belong to Paws For Cause, raising money for Tri County, which is a no kill shelter for animals. Help foster kittens, neuter and socialize them so they will be adoptable.
• ABWA (American Business Woman Association) – Fundraiser Chairperson. Our goal is to raise money for scholarships for young women. Our two big fundraisers are our Annual Fashion Show and The Delray Playhouse for one night. All funds raised are used towards scholarships.
• Women’s Wellness Society – Supporting the group which brings like minded women together who want to learn more about health and wellness. Volunteer for various Events where help is needed.
• Women That Win – Helping Women Turn Passion into Prosperity. Supporting this organization by attendance and volunteering when it is needed.

Adversity
The biggest adversity I had to overcome, was to realize that I was going to raise my two children on my own. In a marriage that was physically, verbally and emotionally abuse, I knew I had to leave after one year of marriage.

Back in 1973 there were not support groups as we have today and I had no support from family, as they did not see the dark side of my then husband. Angels were watching over me, as he agreed to join the Army, as I knew that would be my saving grace. I had agreed to give the marriage one more try, but after a year, his old habits returned. We were in Massachusetts at that time and I knew that I had to come back to Florida. If he tried to come after me, he would have been AWOL and the Army would have stepped in. This is where my saving grace came in.

I did have to wait until the Spring, as I had no snow tires and being from Florida was not fond of driving in the snow. April 1977, I packed my children’s clothes, toys and whatever I could fit in a 4 x 6 U-Haul Trailer, had $200.00 and a gas credit card and headed back to Florida.

No one knew I was coming back to Florida, I did not know where I was going to live and I didn’t have a job (but I knew that I could get my job back as a waitress). It took me four days to get back here, as my daughter was ill and I did not want to push all that time in a car or travel with just myself and the children at night. When I did get back to Florida I had no support and everyone told me I would never make it on my own, as women just couldn’t do it on their own. I think that is what gave me the most determination to prove to everyone that I could make it on my own and never have to return to the abusive life I had left.

Money was scarce or barely there, but my children never knew it. They thought everyone at peanut butter sandwiches for dinner. Or a ham could last all week. My daughter was very ill and was allergic to almost everything, so we ate what she could eat, which covered for the fact that was all I could afford anyway. There is a tie for the biggest adversity, as making the decision to give my children a better life was one, but the other was when my daughter was six, the medical association told me there was nothing they could do for her and they did not know how long she would live.

My mission then became trying to save my daughter anyway I could and learning as much as I could about health and wellness. You might say that my daughter helped put me on the path that I am most passionate about, health and life itself. I learned at that time that I could only depend on myself and if anything was going to happen, I had to make it happen. Easy wasn’t a word in my vocabulary back in those days, but determination was. My daughter did lose the battle with life at sixteen, but she won the war, as her spirit lives on. This experience has made me the person I am today. I have learned that you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to and not listen to all the negative remarks you hear.

Accomplishments

• My Children – My daughter was here only sixteen years, but of those sixteen years she touched so many lives. She never let her illness get in the way of her determination. She was a tiny little girl (43”) she was powerful. She was passionate about life and lived it to the fullest. She was an honor roll student, loved by all and always ready to give. My son has always had a passionate heart. He was always there for his sister and his heart was broken when she died. We depended on each other to help us through the loss and I am so proud of him. His heart is still passionate and is always there to help someone in need.
• My Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do – My life had been so consumed taking care of my daughter, that I did not do much for myself when she was alive. At forty I decided to do what I had always wanted to do – martial arts. I wanted to have by Black Belt by the time I was forty-five and I did. I was the oldest one in the class, but I still kicked butt. Testing for my Black Belt was an Accomplishment that I worked long and hard for, but I did it.
• My Massage License – Going back to school at fifty three was tough. Most people are thinking about retiring at fifty three. Giving up a year of my life to study has been worth it.
• My Life – My life is an Accomplishment in itself. I was able to make it on my own, without help from my ex husband. I never received child support or any type of support. I paid all my bills and pulled myself out of financial disaster with all of my daughter’s medical bills. I have been able to forgive my children’s father and even thank him for giving me the opportunity to live and achieve all I have. I took the more difficult path of life, but I did it my way and I am a better person today. Tough times don’t last, Tough women do.

Passions

Health and Fitness is my passion, but I am passionate about life itself. I know how precious life is. Life is a gift from God and our bodies strive to be healthy and serve us to full capacity. I am passionate about doing the best for the body I have and helping others keep their body healthy and fit. Helping others know how precious life is and living it to the fullest. Remember everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a “Smile”,