Meet Alexandra Williams, Founder of Holistic Hyperbarics and Human Touch Wellness Council member.
While attending the CES (Consumer Electronic Show) show this year in Las Vegas with Tough Tested and my racecar, I got to meet the wonderful people from Human Touch. They had come to my booth, stopped to say hello and ask some questions about my racecar. I immediately loved their positive energy. We took some great photos and I promised to check out their booth the next day.
If you have never been to the CES show, let me tell you, it makes for some very long days of standing! My feet and back were aching from standing around for three days. As promised, I still wanted to drop by the Human Touch booth. I figured with all my aches and pains this was probably the best time to go check out massage chairs.
Upon arriving at the booth I could see that it was very popular. There was a very long line to test out these chairs. When it became my turn, I quickly hopped in to a really beautiful red chair. A wonderful 5-minute demo message was started. It was one of the best 5 minutes of the show! When I arrived at the booth, my back on down to my feet were aching. After just five minutes I got up feeling energized and refreshed. My feet no longer were screaming!
There is something you need to know about my history. At about the age of 8, I was diagnosed with Scoliosis. I began with a 15% left Thoracic curve. I had to wear a hard shell preventative brace that covered my entire torso from my hips to my neck for 20 hours a day. After wearing numerous braces, that failed to prevent the curve from progressing, I had progressed to a 40% Left Thoracic curve with a rib hump. My left shoulder was 4 inches higher than my right. The curve caused my chest to begin to impede on my heart and lungs. When I was 15 years old, it was determined that I needed to have corrective Scoliosis surgery. I entered the hospital in Phoenix and came out not only straighter, but with two 12-inch titanium rods in my back.
Since I was very young, all I have ever wanted to do was race. I would race the kids on my street on my bicycle. I was the little kid that loved watching NASCAR on the television. When I was ten years old I began to race Quarter Midgets. Since then I have worked my way up to Bandoleros, Legends, Late Models, Super Late Models and have even had a shot in ARCA and the NASCAR Camping World Trucks. It was when I was racing Legends that I had to take a year off to recover from Scoliosis surgery. I listened to everything my doctor told me to do, worked extra hard in physical therapy and ate extremely healthy. My doctors were amazed when I was fully healed in nine months and wanted to get back in my racecar seat. My Thoracic area is now the strongest part of my back. The only thing I will never be able to do is a back bend, and I don’t think I will ever miss doing that.
It was after learning about my history of Scoliosis and the fact that I am involved in a high impact sport that I was asked to be a part of the Human Touch Wellness Council. I was so honored when asked. I am excited that Human Touch not only meticulously designs their massage chairs, but they truly care about well-being, fitness, wholeness, strength and recovery.
So far I am really enjoying my NOVO XT chair. Delivery was a breeze. I have found my stress level reduced and I am sleeping much better. I am excited to try the chair after a race in my NASCAR Super Late Model. The placement of my rods always causes deep bruising in my lower thoracic area after long periods in my racing seat, and I hope that the NOVO XT will help with this. I am looking forward to sharing with you how well my chair helps me to recover from back pain and accelerates my recovery.
How does Olympian and World Champion Triathlete, Andy Potts, keep his competitive edge? A strict training regimen that just won’t quit.
Learn just what it takes to become a champion from the Ironman legend himself. It certainly isn’t easy, but his training and recovery schedule has helped him to achieve over 28 Ironman 70.3 first place titles since he took home his first Ironman 70.3 World Champion title in 2007.
Learn more about Andy Potts, and how Human Touch products help him to bring his best each and every day, in this press release.
One of the questions that I get asked pretty constantly is how I am able to keep surfing most everyday at my semi mature station in life. In other words, “How does a geezer like you stay out there all the time?” I should preface this to say that it is normally other geezers who are asking this question. When you are young you don’t even think about it, you just do it and there are little or no physical consequences. Geeze, I remember being able to surf all day, like 10 hours, and then woof down a half gallon of ice cream before heading to the dance. Hahaha, ok I just realized that sounded just like the “and I walked ten miles through the snow to get to school and didn’t even have a pair of shoes to wear,” kinda thing. But, you get the idea. When you are 20 your body just keeps going and you don’t think about it. When you get a bit older you start to get sore, your body aches, you get tired and you start feeling like it might be a good idea to “take a recovery break today.” I see guys missing really good days because they are sore and their body just hurts too much to give it another go. This is something I try to avoid as I hate missing good days. At my age you don’t want to miss anything, I mean ya just never know.
So, here is my little guide on how to keep an older surfing body in tune so that you can surf as much as possible without pain. First off, don’t let yourself get fat like I am because it makes it that much harder on yourself. I must like it to be hard because I stay fat, but I really do not recommend it. One key to staying in the water is to pace yourself time wise in the water within what you feel good with. Sometimes it is not so much how long you surf but more how hard you surf while you are out there. If you go out and sit there for 2 hours and only ride a few waves, socializing and trying to pick up babes, it’s not as much of a workout as if you surf hard for one hour, riding a ton of waves and going for it. Know your threshold as far as endurance. It is when you push past it that your body really gets angry and you pay the price afterwards. When you start getting noodle armed it’s time to go in.
Secondly, it is super important to stay hydrated. Make sure you drink some water before you surf and have some on hand after you get out. Even though you are in the water your body needs fluids. This is especially true when surfing in the tropics or warm climates. Coffee, cokes, beer and all that stuff does not hydrate you, just the opposite. Drink a lot of water or some sort of hydrating drink like Gatorade etc. This is very important to muscle recovery. If you get a lot of cramps it never hurts to take a pinch of salt here and there too.
I am a firm believer in massage and I think the older you get the more important it is to help your body come back from strenuous activity, like surfing. It also helps get your body ready for it, much like stretching and yoga. A massage a day can work wonders on keeping you surfing. Of course for most people getting a massage everyday is impossible, either for the expense or just the time it takes out of your day or night. Years ago I got one of those great massage chairs that you sometimes see in stores and like to sit in and wish you had one at home. It is a HUMAN TOUCH massage chair that is made by a company called; you guessed it, Human Touch, out of Long Beach. It feels like a real person and it is fabulous. A few minutes in the morning just before I paddle out to loosen me up a bit, a short sesson after surfing and 15 or 20 minutes in the evening is a perfect massage chair daily regime. I can’t even come close to telling you how great this is for my old geezer body and I strongly recommend one.
If you want to stay in the water as much as possible and you are middle aged or older you might want to consider my little suggestions here. If you feel good you keep the stoke. And if you have the stoke then you paddle out. Simple deal.
Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair® recliners, and other wellness solutions, is pleased to announce that it has formed a partnership with three-time U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist beach volleyball player, Misty May-Treanor.
Misty May-Treanor is considered to be the one of the greatest beach volleyball players in the history of the sport, with Olympic Gold Medals in the 2004 Athens games, 2008 Beijing games, and the 2012 London games, and a total of 109 career tournament victories.
Above and beyond Misty’s achievements in her sport, she takes great personal pride in being an outstanding role model. She spreads goodwill through her work with Special Olympics, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and her own educational/clinic curriculum, as well as many other causes and initiatives important to her.
“I’m excited to bring the knowledge I’ve gained throughout my career to the Human Touch Wellness Council,” said Misty May-Treanor. “I have always been passionate about physical fitness, and my extensive training – in addition to my formal education in Kinesiology, Coaching, and Athletic Administration – have given me with a lot of information on improving physical health. The Wellness Council serves as a great platform for me to be able to share that information with people who are seeking to feel and perform their best.”
Misty May-Treanor has long demonstrated the importance of recovery for athletic performance. After a serious injury from her appearance on TV’s Dancing with the Stars in late 2008, many feared that her professional career was over. However, she pushed herself through to recovery, and her performance in the 2012 Olympics in London captured the hearts of the fans from all around the world. It is this same resolve, work ethic, and commitment that Misty brings to the Human Touch Wellness Council, where she will provide insight into the importance of recovery and self-care using massage and relaxation techniques.
“We’re thrilled to have Misty May-Treanor join our Wellness Council,” said Peter Theran, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Human Touch. “Our wellness solutions provide a means of recovery for active people, including professional and amateur athletes, and Misty’s training and education will assist us in providing the best solutions for them. We’re excited to have her to join our team, and eager to share her wisdom with anyone who is looking to use massage and wellness to improve their game both on and off the court.”
About Human Touch
Human Touch is the leading provider of high-quality, innovative lifestyle products, massage chairs, and experiences that have been delivering indispensable, life-changing benefits to an ever-growing number of consumers for more than 35 years. Human Touch has been making people feel better by developing state-of-the-art massage products containing patented massage systems that replicate the hands and techniques used by massage professionals, thereby helping to reduce pain and stress caused by today’s hectic lifestyle. Products are available at fine furniture stores, back care specialty stores, and mass-market retailers across the U.S., through international retailers and distributors in more than 40 countries, and online at www.humantouch.com.
Media Contact:
Megan Harvey
Direct Ph: 562-733-7317
Direct Fax: 562-424-7846
Corp. Ph: 562-426-8700
mharvey@humantouch.com
www.humantouch.com
Potts to enrich the Human Touch Wellness Council with expertise from an extensive Olympic and Ironman triathlete career
Long Beach, CA – May 10, 2017 – Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair Recliners, and other wellness solutions, is pleased to announce that it has formed a partnership with U.S. Olympian and world-champion triathlete, Andy Potts. Potts, who recently won the Ironman 70.3 competition in Peru, will join the Human Touch Wellness Council in order to provide insight into the importance of wellness and recovery in high-performance sports.
The Human Touch Wellness Council is a recognized and universally respected team of experts with insight into a variety of wellness practices, from professional athletes to medical practitioners and natural healers. The Wellness Council helps to shape and guide the development of Human Touch products, with a mission to create solutions that inform and benefit professionals, sports-enthusiasts, back pain sufferers, and consumers alike.
“I’m thrilled to join the Human Touch Wellness Council,” said Andy Potts. “As a professional triathlete, one of the pillars of my racing and training success comes from proper recovery. I train for over 35 hours a week, which takes a tremendous toll on the body. By adding the Human Touch Novo XT to my daily routine, I’m able to unwind and recover in a way I never thought possible. My goal as a member of the Wellness Council is to share my expertise on both athletic recovery and training, so that others can benefit from my knowledge in these areas.”
Andy Potts began his career as a swimmer at the University of Michigan, where he was a six-time NCAA All-American champion as well as a member of the university track team. He began competing as a professional athlete in 2003, and competed at the second Olympic triathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece. He then went on to win the 2007 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, Florida, with a time of 3:42:33. Since then he has completed over 200 races with more than 55 first-place finishes. In 2007 he won the Pan Am Games Champion title, and was selected as the 2007 USAT Triathlete of the Year; a title he has since earned 3 more times. His 2017 Ironman 70.3 Peru win brings his grand total of Ironman 70.3 first place titles up to 28, with 125+ podium appearances throughout his career.
Andy Potts is a fierce competitor whose passion extends beyond the finish line. He is known for spending hours after his races, handing out medals and talking to fans. His mission for the sport that has given him so much, is to leave it better than he found it, starting with his racing team and camps. These week-long training sessions allow members to get professional-level instruction and experience with Andy and his team of coaches. The location for these camps vary, coming in summer 2017 to the Olympic Training Center in Olympic City, USA (Colorado Springs). Other options for hands-on training with Andy include a PottsHead Club Team, AP Private Coaching, and 1 on 1 coaching with Andy and his coach, Mike Doane.
“We’re very excited to have Andy join our Wellness Council,” said Peter Theran, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Human Touch. “Our customers use their wellness solutions for a variety of reasons, including to recover from and to prepare for high-performance sports. Andy brings a unique voice to our team as an expert in how to incorporate wellness and massage into a fitness and training routine, no matter what your sport, in order to bring your best game each and every day.”
About Human Touch
Human Touch is the leading provider of high-quality, innovative lifestyle products, massage chairs, and experiences that have been delivering indispensable, life-changing benefits to an ever-growing number of consumers for more than 35 years. Human Touch has been making people feel better by developing state-of-the-art massage products containing patented massage systems that replicate the hands and techniques used by massage professionals, thereby helping to reduce pain and stress caused by today’s hectic lifestyle. Products are available at fine furniture stores, back care specialty stores, and mass-market retailers across the U.S., through international retailers and distributors in more than 40 countries, and online at www.humantouch.com.
Media Contact:
Megan Harvey
Direct Ph: 562-733-7317
Direct Fax: 562-424-7846
Corp. Ph: 562-426-8700
mharvey@humantouch.com
www.humantouch.com
Human Touch recently connected with Hiram Eugene, a former NFL free safety for the Oakland Raiders. He was signed in 2006, and played for six seasons before a dislocated hip forced him to retire early from his NFL career.
Though he was able to have surgery on his hip, his pain continued to resonate from that - as well as many other - injuries resulting from playing professional football. After an intensive regimen of both physical therapy and pain management medication, he finally found a more manageable form of relief in the Human Touch Ascent Series Novo massage chair. He has been kind enough to invite us along for his journey to recovery. Here, you can read Hiram’s first-hand account of how he’s using his Novo to feel his best:
My NFL career started in 2006 as an undrafted free agent with the Oakland Raiders, where I played Free Safety during my tenure. My career lasted until 2012 with a career - ending injury, due to a left hip dislocation.
As most players in the NFL I have had numerous injuries. I suffered from hamstring pulls, both ankle sprains, a torn Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) on the left knee, left calf muscle pull, a torn Pectoral muscle on right arm, a hyperextended left elbow, jammed right hip, stingers (which resulted in me having the thoracic outlet syndrome), an L5 and S1 disassociation in my lower back, and lastly what ended my career which is a dislocated left hip.
Enduring these numerous injuries, I am mostly affected by tightness/stiffness/soreness in my lower back, joint tightness/soreness in left hip, and stiffness/tingling/inflammation/numbness in my neck.
My attraction to the Novo massage chair was that it really does have the touch of human hands giving you a firm massage, and it also has a recliner mode that helps you relax while you receive that massage.
I have been able to use my Novo massage chair 3-5 times a week, depending on my daily schedule. I usually try to get into the chair in the early afternoon, and if possible at night before bed. One particularly helpful way I’ve begun to use the chair is after a hot tub bath, since it helps me to find a more peaceful sleep. I mostly sit down, and put the auto-massage program to the cloud touch/manual knead with percussion and heat, and I love the foot and calf massage.
I have been seeing a doctor for pain medicine, muscle relaxers, and anti-inflammatory medicines. I was also attending physical therapy two times the week and seeing a massage therapist and acupuncturist once a week. However, using my Novo regularly has decreased my pain levels and given me a little better mobility. With better mobility I don't have to take my medications as often, and the combined heat with low back massage generates blood flow which allows me to get a little more done throughout the day.
Hopefully this progress continues, so that I can cut even further back on my pain medication and decrease my need for physical therapy. I will continue to use my Novo massage chair regularly, and update you on my progress!
Writen By Laura Gaskill, Houzz
Photo (Above): Louise de Miranda, original photo on Houzz
When you hear the word “retreat,” what comes to mind — writing in a cabin by a lonesome lake, engaging in spiritual study or practicing yoga on the beach? How about doing a retreat in your own home? It may at first seem like an improbable idea (although that yoga-on-the-beach thing sounds pretty good), but there are some surprising positives to crafting your own retreat at home. For one thing, it’s free. For another, you can decide exactly the sort of activities you want to focus on, including things that may not be combined in most retreats (novel writing and cupcake baking, anyone?). Check out these 10 steps to designing your own retreat in the comfort of your home.
Bonaventura Architect, original photo on Houzz
1. Decide on a focus. Are you craving a spiritual retreat? Time to work on your craft, write, do yoga or meditate? Make a short list of the things you want to incorporate into your retreat so you can start planning.
2. Get your household onboard. If you live with others, and especially if you have children, going on a retreat at home can be a challenge. Try to plan the retreat for a time when your family or housemates will be away, particularly during the day. At the very least, try to get everyone to agree to respect what you are doing. This includes not speaking to you too much if you decide to maintain silence (see No. 8) during your retreat. If you have children, it can be worthwhile to do a shorter (even a one-day) retreat when you know the kids will be out of the house.
3. Set an intention. An intention is different from a goal. A goal might be, “I will meditate two hours each day,” whereas an intention could be, “I will be mindful and appreciate each moment.”
To set an intention for your retreat, answer these two questions:
○ What do you hope to gain from your retreat?
○ What do you hope your experience will be?
Setting intentions before your retreat can help keep you focused on the experience you want to have.
Nicola O’Mara Interior Design, original photo on Houzz
4. Shop for groceries and plan meals. Retreats you travel to, no matter what the focus, tend to offer fresh, healthful food — so try to offer yourself the same. Get the main work out of the way before your retreat begins, so you can focus on the good stuff.
5. Gather other materials. Depending on what sort of activities you will be focusing on, you may want to pick up books, instructional videos, craft supplies, notebooks and pens, a yoga mat or meditation cushions.
The New Design Project, original photo on Houzz
6. Create a schedule. Any proper retreat has a schedule mapped out in advance, and there’s no reason you can’t do the same. Decide what time you would like to rise, eat, work on your project, read, have downtime and go to sleep each day. Of course, the beauty of having an at-home retreat is that you are free to leave your schedule as open or as structured as you like.
7. Prepare your space. There’s no need to go overboard cleaning and scrubbing, but beginning your retreat in a neat, clean home will help set a positive tone. Plan to spend a few hours getting rid of clutter and cleaning up before you begin your retreat.
Pay special attention to clearing away clutter and electronic devices in the bedroom so you can sleep restfully. And elsewhere in the house, put away anything that reminds you of work or things you may be feeling stressed about.
rigby & mac, original photo on Houzz
8. Try silence. Consider going without speaking during some or all of your retreat — you may be surprised how refreshing it can feel to get a break from constant chatter.
Of course, the more people in your household, the more difficult it will be. Perhaps someone else would like to participate in silence with you, or you can enjoy a silent break during the times you have the house to yourself. And, of course, talk if you really need to!
Nicola O’Mara Interior Design, original photo on Houzz
9. Unplug. If there is one thing that seems to be a given at a retreat, it’s that you disconnect your devices. No going online and no checking your phone or tablet. If you are used to being on your devices frequently, it can be a hard habit to break, but it’s worth trying!
10. Consider your media consumption. In addition to what you might be used to seeing online, consider taking a break from the magazines, newspapers and books you usually read. Be intentional about the material you choose to read or watch during your retreat. If you want to read a book or watch a film, pick one that meshes with the intention you set for the retreat.
More from Houzz:
Stock a Pantry Cabinet With Healthy Snacks
How Home Can Help You Recharge
Lamps to Brighten Your Reading Nook
Looking for a way to enjoy daily full-body massage on your retreat? Try the Human Touch Novo XT massage chair:
By increasing oxygen-rich blood to tired, sore muscles, Novo XT helps to restore your natural well being. You can also bet that the sleek, innovative design will serve as a conversation piece that captivates attention like that of your favorite sports car.
Once you’ve rejuvenated both your body and mind, you’ll experience a heightened sense of confidence, motivation, and clarity—all the tools you need be your best and keep your edge over the rest of the pack.
In this segment of Keeping It Real, real-life customer Christopher shares a detailed review of his new Novo XT Massage Chair.
"I purchased this chair to replace an Osim iMedic 380 that was very worn. At almost ten years old it still worked perfectly, but the vinyl covering was ripped from heavy usage. When I started researching a replacement chair, I learned that some of the newer chairs have an L-track which allows the chair to massage the glutes. As a cycling enthusiast, I decided that my new chair should have this feature as I had always wished my old chair could do this.
Although I had read that the Japanese chairs tend to be a bit more sophisticated and of better quality, I had to rule them out as they don't have this feature or foot-rollers—another feature I wanted. Given that my previous Chinese-made chair never had technical issues, I don't consider this overly risky. I settled on the Novo XT as it was the only chair to my knowledge that had a 3D L-track at the time of purchase. I did not try the chair in-person before ordering.
Following are some of my opinions of the Novo XT. Keep in mind that I also get weekly massages from a massage therapist, so my standards for massage are high.
The chair looks good and seems well-built. In my opinion (very subjective) it's the best looking massage chair I've seen. That may not be saying much, though, as I think massage chairs are pretty ugly as a whole. This, at least, is not an ugly chair. The upholstery is tasteful and convincingly leather-like. Definitely a step-up from the vinyl-like material on my previous chair. Hopefully it will be more durable as well.
The L-track does not reach the upper hamstrings, but it does reach the upper to mid-buttocks. You get a decent glute massage with the Novo XT. Additionally, the hip airbags press the IT bands to a certain extent and on some settings can be quite powerful.
Neck, shoulder, back massage is good. It's nice to have the 3D feature which brings the rollers in or out to adjust intensity and as a massage technique. Helpful, because not every user prefers the same level of intensity.
I had initially thought that it was not possible to adjust the intensity for Auto Programs. While this is true for the 3D rollers, I want to mention that adjusting the intensity of the airbags massage (called Cloud Touch on this chair) is possible in all programs, manual or automatic. In fact, Cloud Touch intensity is easily adjusted by pressing the left or right arrow keys on the circular pad of the remote. It's not necessary to enter the settings menu to make an adjustment, although it can be done there as well. In addition, the display does a good job of showing you what the current Cloud Touch intensity setting is.
Although it seems as though the remote allows you to adjust 3D roller intensity with the auto programs, you'll notice in use that after you make a change, the auto program will quickly take over. In other words, if you choose "soft," in the auto program, it won't stay on that level. Now that I've used the chair more, I understand why it's designed this way. When choosing an auto program, the 3D rollers are used at various levels during the massage. At certain times and positions the massage will be deep, and others times it will be soft. This better mimics the techniques of a massage therapist.
In addition to intensity, the 3D feature is used as a massage technique with the automatic and deep tissue programs. The rollers can push into the tissue and not just roll or tap over it to create a stretching or hand-pressing sensation. This chair also has a true 3D mechanism. The effect is not created by simply inflating or deflating the surrounding airbags. Very nice.
Hand/forearm airbags work well. I don't have a lot of experience with these systems, but can't imagine them working much better. They inflate the different zones of the hand, wrist and forearm sequentially which is relaxing and therapeutic.
At first, I did not find the stretch feature to be very useful, but I've been surprised to find that I'm actually using the it. It's not an intense stretch, but I'm starting to like it, nonetheless. The default is to have the leg extension go down when stretching, but I've switched it to go out instead and this seems better to me.
The chair is specified for users up to 6'-9", but at 5'-10", trim and average build, I need to use the second-to-tallest setting for the proper neck height. I'm sure someone taller/heavier can use the machine, but even I find the chair to be a bit more cramped than expected. My understanding is that this is one of the larger chairs, so I'm glad I didn't get one that was smaller.
Calf, leg, foot massage is good. Foot rollers can be a little intense, but adjusting the overall massage intensity in the settings seems to be able to lessen the pressure. This is only possible in the manual program, though. Moving the leg module out with the remote also helps and that's possible at any time with any program.
The chair does not do a body scan before each program. Instead, it allows you to choose your height setting before each program begins. Fortunately, it generally remembers the last setting that was used. I prefer this, as it's faster than having to wait for a body scan simply to figure out your height. You can quickly adjust the back rollers so they don't hit the top of your head or miss your shoulders and you still have the option to change the setting at any time. It takes a little experimenting to figure out your "number," but then it becomes easy.
The chair does self-adjust for leg length which does not take much time and works pretty well. Leg setting is also easily manually adjusted at any time, if necessary. As I wrote above, extending the leg module outward can help if the roller effect is too intense.
To sum up, this chair has the ability to give a very good massage that is relaxing and therapeutic. It is good-looking, sturdily built and the upholstery feels and looks great. The 3D L-track is what separates this chair from most others and it works well to reach the glutes and as an added massage technique. The chair is comfortable while massaging and creates a nice cocoon-like feeling. Used as a lounger, the chair may feel hard and uncomfortable and the cocoon-like design works against it. It's a bit noisy, but not a deal-breaker. Remote control is good when using automatic programs, but just OK when using manual selections. The remote's intensity settings are confusing until you figure out that they're only applicable to the manual program. The remote's display, though, is very good."
-Christopher, Real-Life Cutomer
Human Touch was recently able to show support for the American Cancer Society at the 2016 Relay for Life event. There, we donated two HT-Reflex 2 Foot and Calf Massagers to the team Beautiful Feet, which was captained by 16 year-old Carissa Dahlia. These Reflex2’s were featured in the Beautiful Feet booth at their May 1st event, offering some much-needed relief to its participants.
Relay for Life is an event that raises money for the American Cancer Society to put toward cancer research, as well as patient resources and programs. Beautiful Feet is a chapter of Chapman University’s event, in which the goal of each team was to have someone on the track walking to raise money for cancer for a full 24 hours. Carissa Dahlia also made it her goal to walk roughly 16 miles barefoot, despite the hot cement of the sidewalk route, in tribute to the hardships that cancer patients go through every day. In 2016, she increased that goal to 26 miles.
Carissa’s story is truly inspirational, as this young woman formed her team in memory of her maternal grandfather, Terry Borchard, who lost his battle with Multiple Myeloma cancer in 2014. Borchard had been a missionary and Bible translator in Papua New Guinea for over 40 years, and led a generous lifestyle that inspired Carissa and her family to also lead similar purpose-filled lives. Carissa’s team raised approximately $900 for Relay for Life in 2015, and another $1209 (so far) in 2016.
Here are a few quotes directly from Carissa throughout her experience:
"Once again I have created a Relay for Life team called Beautiful Feet. Last year I walked 16 miles barefoot at Relay for Life. Everyone thought I was crazy. It was hot. We were walking on cement. And yet I had ditched my shoes in our tent. At the time I didn’t have a real answer for why I was walking barefoot, I just knew deep down that I needed to do it. I now have the answer to why. The pain I experienced from walking barefoot on that hot cement for 16 miles was fleeting. Of course it hurt at the time and for a week or so afterwards, but it was nothing compared to the pain experienced by those fighting cancer or any other diseases. The pain I experienced was momentary and my choice. Theirs is not.”
“Walking barefooted reminds me of the real reason that we relay. We relay for the people. The people we’ve lost, the people still fighting, and the future people who might have to hear those fateful words. Relay is not just about the cancer and funding research. It’s about the people who will benefit from that research. The people it will save.”
“26+ miles completed barefoot and I am done walking. Or rather my legs are done walking. So I am reflecting on the reason that I have done this to my legs. Because of my Grandpa, both my grandmas, and countless others, I relay for them. I relay for the hope of a cure, the hope that one day all cancers will be treatable. I relay for love, the love I have for all those I've lost. And finally, I relay to help kick cancer into the past so that no one else has to hear those three words, "You have cancer."
"It has been one week since Relay for Life and my reasoning for walking barefoot has changed so much. As I walked so many more reasons came flooding to me, especially at night with the luminaries surrounding the track. I realized that as you watch a loved one suffer through their treatment you constantly say that you wish you could take some of their pain from them, walking barefoot allowed me to feel as though I had taken some of that pain from them. It also allowed me to physically feel the progression as my legs went from strong to weak to unable to walk. Walking barefoot for me was similar to my grandfather's cancer journey, like Multiple Myeloma, the pain would go away or subside, but it would always come back. I felt really connected to my grandpa during this experience, and while it hurt a lot, I will definitely do it again next year."
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