Healthy Woman of the Month: Vivian Quintero

Healthy Woman of the Month: Vivian Quintero

Each month, Healthy Girls Initiative will feature a brief interview with a woman who contributes to our South Sarasota County community by leading by example and promoting holistically healthy lifestyles for our girls.

Our May Healthy Woman of the Month is Vivian Quintero, the new and warmly welcomed part-time Healthy Girls Initiative staff member.

Where you live and how long have you lived there?

I have lived in Sarasota, by the beautiful bay (one of my favorite places), since May 2007. Before that, I lived in Bradenton with my mom and grandma.

What do you do for work?

I work for Healthy Girls Initiative! My main responsibility is to deliver the Healthy Girls Initiative program to girls in Spanish. I also work for Worden Farms at the Farmer's Market whenever they need extra help and provide babysitting and interpreting/translating services to low-income families. I have worked as an administrative assistant for St. Jude Catholic Church, El Mariachi Loco insurance agency and the Hispanic-Latino Coalition. I have been a hostess at Captain Brian's Seafood Restaurant and Market and a tutor/mentor and babysitter on many, many occassions. I especially enjoy tutoring in math.

What do you do when you’re not working?

I take classes at Manatee Community College, walk on the beach with friends, meditate and sing by the bay, visit my family in Bradenton, volunteer with several organizations through New College (Jesus Club, Food Not Bombs, Coalition of Immokalee Farmworkers), hang out with my 5-year old cousin, Elena, go to Bible studies, enjoy cooking Colombian food to share with others, hang out at Big E's Coffeeshop and make new friends/meet with old friends, turn up the radio and dance in my living room while cleaning, hang out with the kids I babysit, go Latin dancing, sing in my church choir, take walks around my neighborhood...

How many girls ages 8-14 do you interact with on a regular basis?

Besides the girls that are a part of Healthy Girls Initiative, zero. The young people I interact with on a regular basis are my cousin, Elena, and the kids I babysit (both are boys).

What does living a healthy lifestyle mean to you?

Living a healthy lifestyle means being holistically well. I strive to achieve wellness in all of its dimensions (emotional, physical, social, spiritual, intellectual, occupational and environmental) because mind and body are interrelated. For years, I've been making and re-making a list which describes in detail the goals I'm working on or will work on in each dimension to achieve wellness in that area of my life. It is in setting these goals, striving to achieve them and re-evaluating them periodically that I feel that I reach my greatest potential for wellness.

Share your top three healthy living tips for other adult caregivers of girls:

#1- LOVE and SMILE! Learn to truly love yourself and others and show it in your lifestyle. Smiling will change your mood in positive ways!

#2- FAST! Take a break from some things, sometimes. Give yourself a break from the chaos of everyday living to relax and discover/re-evaluate priorities. Do this to re-energize as often as needed to avoid burnout and stay at your best!

#3- SET GOALS! Align your thoughts and actions with what you want to accomplish, with who you want to be, and write down each one of your goals in a special place. See how each goal relates to your overall wellness. Repeat, as needed.

Why are you a part of Healthy Girls Initiative?

I am embracing this opportunity to educate and serve as a role model because I know how important wellness education and support from healthy role models is in the lives of young girls and recognize how critical it has been in the ever-continuing transformation of my own lifestyle. For example, as a young girl I developed unhealthy eating habits and poor self-esteem. Later on, in high school, my life management skills teacher served as an excellent and extremely influencial role model, supporter and educator. She introduced me to healthy attitudes towards nutrition and became my "fitness coach" sophomore year. Today, I am thrilled about the opportunity to work alongside and continue learning from Julia, and to be an empowerer of young girls and their families through education and support.

Want more Healthy Girls Initiative online? Visit: http://www.myspace.com/healthygirlsinitiative !