SLO NEDA Walk Big Success!

Yesterday’s NEDA Walk in San Luis Obispo was a huge success.  A huge thank you to Emily Marr, Cal Poly student who organized the event and invited me to speak. If it wasn’t for your determination and commitment to spreading this message the event would not have happened.  You’re amazing!

It was a magnificent day for yesterdays’s SLO National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) benefit walk that was held in Mitchell Park.  If you don’t live in SLO, but are interested in supporting your local NEDA walk or perhaps holding one of your own, visit the NEDA website for more details.

Yesterday’s walk was a huge success – if you ask me.  I’d say there were about 100 people in attendance for the first-ever event in our little town of San Luis Obispo (SLO).  I’m not sure how many sponsors, but the two that stood out to me were Remuda Ranch (eating disorder treatment center in AZ) and the Central Coast Intensive Outpatient Treatment Center.  Both groups were a symbol of the excellent support systems available these days for people suffering from an eating disorder.
The two Cal Poly students who shared their story (including Emily, the event organizer) were incredibly inspiring because, even though they’re both under 20 years old, they took their recovery into their own hands and made healing/recovery a priority.

I also had the opportunity to speak to the group and wanted to help the friends and family who were there to get a taste of what it’s like to be obsessed with food all the time.  It’s hard to see through the eyes of someone with an eating disorder, but I think what I shared with them about how our filters and conscious/subconscious brain work gave them a little insight.

I felt so grateful to speak at my very first eating disorder awareness rally.  This is actually the first time I’ve done something offline.  Most of my time is spent here with you (my online readers). [big smile]

If you have an opportunity to participate in a walk, I hope you will.  If you have an opportunity to speak at one or even are thinking of starting one where you live I say GO FOR IT.  In our little town of SLO while there are only 60,000 residents there is a large college population and from what I understand eating disorders are super prevalent.  I’m excited to be tapped into the local recovery community and look forward to working with my new friends at Remuda Ranch, IOP and local therapists to provide support, a network and resources wherever possible.

~Henry Ford