Celebrating The SONA Move Challenge
By Renee Manfredi, Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger- SO Hawaii
Week 1: 3/15–21
Let’s Get Moving! #ChallengeAccepted. I am really exciting to begin the SONA Move Challenge! I just love that our team is made up of athletes & staff from different states! Rell & I are from Hawaii, Hanna is from Colorado, Daniel is from Illinois, & SONA staff Tara & Rachel are from Connecticut & Virginia! We really are SONA! I am beginning this challenge already having weekly practices for SOHI’s Statewide Spring Virtual Physical Fitness Competition. I will compete in modified push-ups, side hops, & modified reverse crunches. I am also excited to add my daily swim to rack up those Move Minutes! And OH, it’s Luck o the Irish week; I will be eating Green!
Week 2: 3/22–3/28
I absolutely love this challenge. I moved my way through our Statewide Spring Virtual Physical Fitness Area Games taking first place in all my events. My favorite color is blue, which is super cool because my team uniform is blue! It was perfect for this week’s Wear Your Favorite Color challenge! I also wore good shoes that fit correctly. It is difficult for me to find shoes that do not hurt my feet, but I make sure I take all the time I need to find just the right pair!
Week 3: 3/30–4/4
We rocked the house this week with our Move For A Cause fundraiser with Ryan & Bonnie. It was a Core Power Yoga, Strength, & Cardio morning. It also raised money for SOHI, so this move was a win-win. I’m sure I’m getting stronger, but after this, I sure needed a rest. Did you know that we should get at least get 8 hours of sleep every night? Our bodies need the rest, especially after we’ve worked out with Ryan & Bonnie! What a perfect week to finish the Sleeping Beauty virtual walk. I’ll bet she was rested & ready to get up & move!
Week 4: 4/5–4/11
Look who joined us over here in Hawaii: Chris Nikic. This Ironman & Laureus winner brought us one tough workout! I was sure to grab some water.
Like Chris’s 1% Better Challenge, I added something new to my swim workout. I am using water weights to help build up my strength. Boy, they are a challenge because my arms keep popping up with them! To keep them under the water takes a lot of strength & concentration. But I’m moving for that 1% better every day. Thank you, Chris! You are such an inspiration to us all!
Week 5: 4/12–4/18
We’re halfway there & it’s Tie Dye challenge to celebrate. I love this theme. I was born in the ’80s, so wearing something like tie-dye was super cool.
This week I was able to add another exercise: walking. But not just any walking, SOHI has been able to resume their Holoholo Walking Club! Holoholo means “Let’s Go Walking” in Hawaiian. Each Monday & Wednesday, athletes meet at the new Special Olympics Hawaii Health & Wellness Center to holoholo. We are so excited to be slowly returning to normal activities.
Week 6: 4/19–4/25
This has been a very big week for me. I participated in our Statewide Spring Virtual Physical Fitness Competition. I won 3 gold medals! I went to the Honolulu Police Station to receive my medals.
This is also the week I learned I will be leaving Hawaii. I will be moving to the Mainland this summer. I will now be beginning all of the LAST things. This was my LAST competition with Special Olympics Hawaii on my team, The Terminators. But you know what won’t be my last? Being a Special Olympics athlete! Yup. While it is hard to leave, I am excited to meet my teammates at my next home.
Week 7: 4/26–5/2
Dance Dance Dance, People, get ready & get your moves on! It’s International Dance Moves & Star Wars Week. This is just perfect for me because I love to dance & I LOVE Star Wars. I do a Friday dance each week with SOHI’s virtual fitness program & Star Wars has been my favorite movie ever since I was 14 years old. I just love the story and the adventure. I’m also still swimming to get those minutes! Just keep swimming & dancing!
Week 8: 5/3–5/9
What’s my favorite exercise? Swimming! Will I continue? Absolutely! No matter where I am, I will keep on moving. For starters, I will walk at my all-time favorite spot, the North Shore. It’s so beautiful; I could stay there forever. This time of year, you see some pretty amazing waves up there, but soon it will be calm enough to go back to my paddle board. I will also continue with my Virtual Runs. I just finished up Mt. Kilimanjaro, and I’m working on The Ring of Kerry. These past 8 weeks have been so much fun. I’m so glad that I participated in the SONA Move Challenge with the best team ever, SONA MOVErs & Change-makers!
As we say here in Hawaii, “a hui hou” ~ Until We Meet Again
