Last month I had the honor of going to the West Virginia Physical Activity Symposium with Shannon Miller, one of the athletes working with ‘nPLAY. The purpose of the event was to gather all of the important stakeholders in West Virginia, as well as many important national figures, to address the obesity issue throughout the state.
I spent two days there and I was unbelievably impressed with everyone I met; starting with the top players of the state. Governor Joe Manchin and his wife Gayle are two of the most genuine, down to earth and committed people I have met in an extremely long time. In an era where there is tremendous skepticism regarding politicians and their motives, I left West Virginia with hope that there are more individuals like them coming to the forefront of American politics. Their desire to help all of the citizens of West Virginia become healthier was phenomenal. Mrs. Manchin in particular is the kind of individual that inspires you to go the extra mile to help them accomplish their goals.
I must give credit to Eloise Elliot, a member of the ‘nPLAY education advisory board, who put together a phenomenal event. I know she is taking a well deserved break right now.
Then there was Shannon Miller. We are blessed at ‘nPLAY to have intelligent, dedicated athletes who truly care about the future of America’s children. While I expected nothing less, Shannon exuded class and integrity every single minute she was there and is an exceptional role model for young girls. This is evident in how she physically takes care of herself, and how she lives her life. Her speech was excellent and a highlight of the symposium. I can’t thank Shannon enough for her time and work with ‘nPLAY. We wish her tremendous success as she launches Shannon Miller Lifestyle for Women, www.shannonmillerlifestyle.com..
We also were fortunate to add Phil Pfister, former Strongest Man in the World, to the ‘nPLAY family. A native son of West Virginia, his speech was inspiring and we are excited to have him come aboard.
We are looking forward to working in West Virginia and helping the children of the state. I want to thank Mrs. Manchin, Eloise Elliot and everyone else for their hospitality. I look forward to all that we can accomplish in the future.
