Cristina Fernandez Interview for Grow & Glow
Chia
Hi Cristina.
I'm so happy! I'm glad to have you here. we're at Chia's Silver Lining Boutique. Welcome everybody. Thank you for joining us. I'm excited because last week we launched our blog with Cristina Fernandez, and I would like for her to tell us a little bit about herself because we've got some great and exciting news that we want to present live. If you haven't already been watching everything going on. So, thank you for being here and tell us a little bit about yourself.
Christina
Okay well thank you so much for the warm welcome. I'm so glad to be here with you. It's always a pleasure and like you said my Blog just launched last week and I'll introduce myself. My name is Christina I was born and raised here in El Paso. Most of my education was here. I went to college in Houston. I got a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Food Science. I'm Also a Triathlon Coach. I'm very passionate about wellness, nutrition, and sports, so on the side I do Ironman Triathlons and so that's basically, that’s a little bit about me.
Chia
Okay, that's a lot about you! I'm excited because I know that passion resonates in all of this, and you are passionate, and we're so blessed to have you! So, tell us a little bit about how you heard about us and then how you jumped on board to kind of engage in what we started last year with our partnership with the Mighty Mujeres Triathlon.
Cristina
All right, so, you and I met what was it like two years ago and we were connected through my sister.
Chia
Actually, yes.
Cristina
I think that the first day we met we just connected, right? We had a vision.
Chia
It was bigger than us, but that's okay.
Cristina
After talking we both realized that we had the same mission and ambition to motivate women to empower themselves through wellness.
Chia
Right, absolutely.
Cristina
That's how we came up with the plan to train women who were either battling cancer or who had survived cancer and trained them to do a triathlon something that they had never done right and thankfully here locally there is the Mighty Mujeres Triathlon, which is just for women and so, we trained them to do the Mighty Mujeres Triathlon.
Chia
And so our journey with the women was super exciting.
Cristina
I think that was what motivated us and, you know, maybe inspired us to do what we're about to share.
Chia
I don't think everybody knows, but we literally selected five of the most amazing women I think in the city that had never even basically seen a bicycle, swam in a pool or even ran half a mile. I would venture to say.
Cristina
Right, I think they didn't even know that Triathlons existed and so, it was a whole journey I mean from when we met the ladies, yes, you know, to when they crossed the finish line. We saw, their, you know, their lives, just changed in so many different ways and that was very inspiring for us as well.
Chia
Yes, because it makes you realize too that despite cancer, I think everybody in their lives has some kind of a challenge or something debilitating that sometimes we don't tend to cross the finish line to find our wellness
Cristina
Right.
Chia
And I think it taught us a lesson, right?
Cristina
Right, I mean we saw a lot of obstacles through the journey and then COVID happened.
Chia
COVID on top of it!
Cristina
Yes
Chia
But that wasn't going to stop us.
Cristina
No, we just climbed the wall and we figured out how to continue training them and then July of last year we saw them cross the finish line, so that was very inspiring.
Chia
Yes, it was and so hence we are now here launching for the first time ever. I'm proud to tell everybody we have a program called Glow and Grow or Grow & Glow of course because that is the new journey that we have learned through this experience that we would like to bring to the city of El Paso for at least 20 women that are willing to take this challenge of a total healing and wellness to their lives it's a life changing experience.
Cristina
Completely life changing.
Chia
But I'm really excited because the team that we have behind this program is phenomenal starting with Christina who is designing the whole entire program for us! Tell us a little bit more about what we can expect as people submit their entries and want to become part of this journey for Grow & Glow.
Cristina
Right, so, like Chia said, whoever is interested can submit their applications, basically, we want to see your story. You know, and what is behind you and what are you seeking with this project Grow & Glow is designed like it says to help you glow from the inside to radiate outside and grow in so many different ways within, you know, the wellness aspect and so, I mean you are, you will, go through, you know, life-changing experience to through yoga, exercise, boot camps, meditation, and we will have public speakers. Like doctors who will talk about, you know, nutrition women and everything that, you know, that supports the women. And one of the big aspects of this project will be your nutrition as well and so there will be guided nutrition consultations throughout the program.
Chia
Right, and you can also expect to see some of the wonderful hikes in the city, some great cycling tours, I believe, and so, it's going to be a great experience for a lot of people. I think that's what we saw as we have created this program that we saw all these women truly began to conquer all of their obstacles and they began to radiate and glow. I love how you said that. They really, we saw that life-changing experience.
Cristina
Right
Chia
So, we would love to give that back to our city. And when I say “Give that Back” that is truly what we are doing. This is 100% sponsored by our sponsors we have a great list of sponsors. Thank you to all of our sponsors!
Cristina
Thank you!
Chia
That we can make this happen for 20 women in this city and I'm excited because I'm because you know a cancer survivor and really founding my journey the importance of my nutrition my education through this whole process and wellness and exercise, so we're really excited to be able to offer this experience to 20 women in this city so I I'm excited
Cristina
Me too
Chia
I can't thank you enough for doing this. So, thank you! Having a piece of you in your heart and passion in this whole project is so exciting!
Cristina
I'm very excited too.
Chia
Yes, so call to action we are asking you to go on to Chiasilverlining.com and apply we have a form that you can download and submit. We will take them until July, I believe till the beginning of July, we'll take applications and so if you have any questions, you can also call us. Our phone number is on our website Chiasilverlining.com. You can also come into our Boutique here at Chia Silver Lining at 5664 North Mesa and you can get information here as well.
Cristina
Also, they can contact us through Facebook or Instagram as well.
Chia
Absolutely, yeah so, we're excited! Thank you for joining us. Thank you for being here.
Cristina
Thank you thank you so much.
Chia
Come on we're excited!
Cristina
We can't wait to see you!
Chia
Bye, thank you!
to learn more about Grow & Glow or to submit an online application click here.