I am an Athleta Ambassador! | #POWEROFSHE
- monicasalafiardn
- Apr 26, 2017
- 6 min read
I’M AN ATHLETA AMBASSADOR!!!!
I am so humbled and excited to share this news! Some of you who know me, know that I am just as passionate about nutrition as I am fitness. I chose to get a degree in Nutrition Science and pursue the RDN credential (so glad I did!!!) but my love for fitness never faltered. It grew stronger! I wanted to share a bit about how all of these perfect puzzle pieces came together that led me to this opportunity so I am sharing it here 🙂
Some background!
A year ago today, I was a dietetic intern through the Sage Colleges. I had such supportive directors and the best preceptors. Really, I cannot thank them enough. My experiences taught me so much about how to treat disease with nutrition, manage the National School Lunch Program, and work with the Women Infant Children population but I wanted something more exercise related. I did some research! I found a super cool, evidence-based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a Master's in Exercise Science and a PhD in Bioenergetics and a private practice. WHOA! #goals . He was looking for an intern, I was looking for a preceptor. PLOT TWIST! He lived in Denver! I was in New York. So there were some logistics to workout.
Long story short, the boyfriend and I decided to make the move out west on May 20, 2016. By May 23 2016 we were officially moved into our first place together and May 24th I started my rotation with Todd Weber, PhD, MS, RD of Energy Balance Nutrition Consulting.
May 20, 2016 last day in NY
My friend from Nebraska
May 23 our first day in Denver eating lunch from Trader Joes!
RD2BE to RDN in Denver
Right away, I was hosting nutrition workshops on how to keep food fresh to prevent food waste. I met with runners to do one on one nutrition counseling, and also got to collaborate on a blog article on my preceptor’s website! Networking was another piece of this internship. Knowing my passion for fitness, my preceptor introduced me to one of the most fit-fluential, badass, bosslady, entrepreneurs I have ever met, Tricia Olson, the founder of FitLo Denver. On June 12th, 2016 my internship was just about done so I was studying for my RD Exam (read about that here!) and it was the first day I met with Tricia. She invited me to a 2-hour high intensity bootcamp style workout at Red Rocks Amphitheater, how cool was that!?! I was pumped. So at 7am on a Sunday, we chatted at a coffee shop over eggs n’ toast then headed to the amphitheater. She gave me a tank and I rocked it, proudly as her newest ambassador!
Fast forward to 808 or August 8th, 2016 I was still working with Tricia on FitLo bizz helping the Denver community get the lowdown on where to get fit! I was going to the coolest workout studios, meeting amazing instructors, oh and I was getting in pretty good shape too ;-) . But! The best part of that day was when I PASSED MY RD EXAM! I call myself an 808 Dietitian (any Bassnectar fans reading this?). I seriously could not have been more satisfied with hours of blood (from patients) sweat (from me) and tears (definitely from me!) I spent to get those very important letters behind my name.
How I Met Athleta
I had been doing a lot of workouts and it had been a while since I gave my wardrobe an update. Now, as a full-time Noom Health Coach, I talk to a lot of my clients about rewards, specifically non-food rewards to keep up with healthy habits. Exercise is a very healthy habit and to reward myself I wanted to buy myself a really great pair of workout tights. They needed to be comfy, not see-through, and to the mall I went and saw the Athleta store front. I walked in and immediately I was digging the whole vibe of the store and reading the POWEROFSHE messages on the walls.
The second reason why I was enjoying my time living by the #treatyoself mantra, is that I carry a little extra in the legs and have a little torso. It can be a tough finding the right size pants that fit proportionately but I found them at Athleta. They carry such a wide range of sizes and the stylists there are actually super friendly and will style you. I didn’t know this was a thing! So that’s how I was first introduced to the brand. Now I’ll get to the story of how I became an Athleta Ambassador.
Be Bold for Change and Serendipity
On International Women’s Day March 8th, Tricia hosted a major women’s empowerment event at the Aveda Institute on 16th Street Mall. #BeBoldforChange was the tagline for International Women’s Day 2017. We were bold women working out on a Wednesday at 6am. It was a group fitness class led by Teddi Bryant, the founder of Hot Mamas Exercise, and also the same instructor who taught the Red Rocks workout when I first met Tricia , whoa talk about coincidence... Anyways!
Shortly after the event I had to sce-daddle off to work. I work remotely as a health coach, so really I needed to get to wi-fi and hunker down in a coffee shop! But in the bustle I managed to forget my jacket. But my girl Tricia, she found it and grabbed it for me. We were to meet later on in the week so I could get it.
About a week later, Tricia texted me for a meet up for another coffee shop date so we could chat FitLo business and I could grab my jacket. She was meeting up with the Community Coordinator for Cherry Creek Athleta. You know that saying, you are the sum of the 5 people you spend your time with most? Well, I spend a lot of time with a lot of awesome women and I also loved supporting the Athleta brand because they stand for empowering women and really live up their slogan #POWEROFSHE. They are a real deal community that supports women not just by having well-fitted clothing, but for their sustainability campaigns and using environmentally friendly fabrics to make their clothes. Just all around a great brand and so when I learned about the Athleta Ambassador program I applied. Even though I wasn’t a fitness instructor, just an RDN with an extreme love for fitness, I still felt like it was worth the try!
Now imagine if i didn’t forget my jacket....Serendipity :)
The Application
To apply I had to fill out a questionnaire. I took it so seriously I had to type out my responses in a Google document so I could scan for typos and make sure that it was organized well. The next step was to create a video. For me, writing is easy. Video, ehh, a little bit out of my comfort zone but I’m learning to love it...or just fake it till i make it (haha)!
I propped up my camera in front of my big living room window and to be honest, I just wanted to be natural. I didn’t want to look posed. I thought about going to the park and getting all done up for it but I was like eh, I feel more comfortable just going for it sometimes! Here is the application video. I feel super dweeb-y about it, but alas there it is for you viewing to laugh, cry, throw tomatoes, make sauce (mmmmm, sauce).
The Proposal
About a month later, I was meeting Tricia to talk about the FitLo Passport program and some upcoming fitness events. She said she had to meet with Katie, the Community Coordinator at Athleta in Cherry Creek at 1:45pm. So I met Tricia and when it was time to go up to the Athleta store we’re walking up to it and I see signs on the window.
To be completely honest I was so confused because I’m looking at these signs thinking aww, some little Athleta girls must have decorated...wait a second, that one has my name on it!? Then Boom!! I see a group of women at the entrance with flowers and Hooray! signs . It was my proposal!! I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!
They all definitely surprised me. What a success! I couldn’t stop grinning. I also learned the other ambassadors that were proposed to so us 3 will be working together to spread the #POWEROFSHE message through Denver!
As this month wraps up and I head into my final weeks of grad school, the timing could not be more spot on! But I could not be here without the support of…
My Dietetic Internship Directors for letting me move during my internship
My Preceptors for giving me the confidence and motivation to become an RDN
Todd Weber, my community preceptor who introduced me to Tricia
Tricia! Founder of FitLo Denver, My #wcw , mentor, friend, boss lady & gym buddy
The Athleta Community, Katie, Gwynne, & Mel
Zack, my homie for life and fiance who stuck it out with me the last 8 years
My family, who I love and miss so much!
Athleta has some awesome events planned for us and more details will be coming!
I’ll be sharing more about my journey as an Athleta Ambassador, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, foodie at heart, fitness enthusiast, and Noom Health Coach and Cat Mama on my blog and
IG: @monicasalafia.rdn
Snapchat: monsalafiard
Twitter: @mindonnutrition
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