MaryKay Mullally, a Jamaican born woman whose Self-Expression and Leadership Program of training women to run marathons and half-marathons led her to form the “Step Up For Life” organization, was recently interviewed by the Jamaica Gleaner, a leading Jamaican newspaper. Mullally talked about being honored by ABC News and Prevention Magazine as one of five winners of their Picture of Health contest, which gave the award to women making an inspiring difference in the health of other women.

MaryKay Mullally — Making a Difference

by Barbara Nelson

Tired of running a software development team in California, Jamaican-born MaryKay Mullally became involved in self-development seminars. One of her courses involved developing a half-marathon-training group. The result? “I ran my first marathon in January 2002, two months before turning 41,” the now vibrant 47-year old mother of two, said.

“It was one of the most challenging yet exhilarating things I’ve ever done. I had to dig deep physically and mentally to keep going when my muscles were burning and the voices in my head said I wasn’t going to make it. It required that I be present in each moment, focus on the finish line and just take the next step. Completing that marathon made me feel like I could do anything.”

twists and turns

She was one of five women featured in the June 2008 issue of Prevention magazine, vying for the top prize in the second annual Prevention/ABC News Now Picture of Health contest. The women were selected because they showed that “life does get better after 40, and that you can find your healthy path no matter how many twists and turns it takes to get there.”

This charming woman, who attended St. Andrew High School in Jamaica as a young girl, ran two more marathons in 2003 before creating Step Up For Life in August 2004. Step Up For Life was initially launched as a project in the Self Expression and Leadership Program, one of the core programs of Landmark Education. This program gives people an opportunity to express themselves fully, make a difference in their community and have other people people participate.

“I wanted to empower women with this program by helping them to do something they would never have done and never thought they could do so they could take that into other areas of their lives and know they could do anything by taking one step at a time with the support of other women just like themselves. I wanted women to experience the freedom I felt when I ran and have a tool they could use to reclaim their health. I had 50 people sign up and had to turn people away,” she said.

experience

Of the original 50 women, 40 made it to the starting line at the inaugural Nike Women’s Half Marathon in San Francisco and all finished. For many it was the most empowering experience of their lives.

In January of 2005 MaryKay launched Step Up as a business, running three sessions per year to train for local San Diego Half marathons. Just fewer than 1000 women have participated to date.

“I have now expanded my business into a wellness coaching practice and have helped hundreds of men and women to lose weight and reclaim their health and wellbeing. So my focus is more on this aspect of my business,” she explained. MaryKay also coaches people via the phone over a period and helps them to achieve their individual health, weight or fitness goals.

Since being profiled by Prevention magazine and ABC News, she has been contacted by scores of people including high school friends with whom she’d lost touch.

dream

“One phone call I will never forget,” MaryKay said, “came from a woman in Texas on the morning the competition was announced on ABC’s Good Morning America. She told me that she weighed 300lbs and had tried every diet in the book and had failed miserably. She said she hated herself and the night before had gone to bed hopeless and resigned. That morning she turned the TV on to the segment and for the first time in months she had hope through my story. At that point she immediately went to her computer, cast her vote for me, looked me up on Google and called me. When I hung up realizing that my dream to impact millions of people was already being fulfilled, it was all I could do to not breakdown and cry.”

ABC News declared all five finalists winners and MaryKay donated her winning cheque of US$5,000 to NEADS (Dogs For Deaf and Disabled Americans), of Princeton, MA. The organization trains rescued dogs to assist persons who are deaf or physically disabled in leading more independent lives. To learn more about MaryKay’s wellness program visit www.stepupforlife.com

To see the story in its original form, visit the Jamaica Gleaner website.

When Effie Brunson took Landmark Education’s Self-Expression and Leadership Program last year, she became inspired to both make solar power more widely available in her home state of Texas, and help low-income families reduce their energy costs. She took on both of these goals with the creation of Rays of Hope, which works with other notable local organizations to provide and install solar photovoltaic systems on houses that are either being built or retrofitted for low-income families in Austin.

Rays of Hope is working to provide five homes with these solar PV panels this year, through funding from state and local organizations such as solar panel manufacturers and other members of the business community. Earlier this year, Rays of Hope was written about by the Texas Solar Energy Society, whose article appears below.

A Chance to Make a Difference

As fuel costs continue to rise and people become increasingly aware of the relationship between climate change and emissions associated with traditional energy generation, the demand for cleaner resources is growing. Solar power systems can meet this demand by providing clean energy with no emissions. Austin Energy’s current strategic plan includes a goal of delivering 30% of the energy they provide from renewable resources by 2020 with 100 megawatts of that renewable capacity from solar power. We’d like to help Austin Energy achieve that goal.

Rays of Hope is committed to helping low-income homeowners with relief from high utility bills by providing solar PV systems to meet the energy needs of these households. The project will purchase solar electric equipment and coordinate the installation of that equipment by hand-on workshops open to the public. Rays of Hope eliminates the initial investment costs for these residents, enabling them to positively impact the environment and significantly reduce what is often their 2nd highest monthly expense.

The pilot installation will take place March 13 and 14 at 6912 Villita Avenida in Austin, on a house being constructed by American YouthWorks Casa Verde Builders. Once complete, the house will be put on the open market to be sold as affordable housing.  American YouthWorks is an organization which gives at risk youth a second chance through job training programs and education in their charter school. By donating to Rays of Hope, you will be helping to purchase a solar array for a low-income family, giving them financial self-sufficiency and exposure to solar technology.

To contribute to Rays of Hope or otherwise get involved, go to the Rays of Hope website.