Moms In Motion : Connecting Moms Through Fitness

January/February 2004

Moms in Local Motion

By Randy Weiss

Jennifer Loza always puts her family first. Married with three children, she savors her roles as wife and mom. But after her daughter Karlise was born almost three years ago, she needed time for herself to get back in shape, her "pre-mom" shape, if you will.

Through Karlise's playgroup at Willowglen Park, Jennifer met Jamie Allison and her two-year-old daughter Kate. Jamie had started Moms in Motion with a friend a year earlier.

"Jamie sold me on Moms in Motion from day one," Jennifer said. "It sounded like just what I needed, yet completely out of character for me. I decided to go for it." Finding the time for training was challenging, but Moms in Motion had the right answer for her. This local women's health and fitness network is dedicated to helping women carve out time to enhance their well-being. "We promote all aspects of a healthy lifestyle: mind, body, heart and soul," said Jamie. "If you're a happy and healthy woman, it greatly benefits all areas of your life."

Moms in Motion has come a long way from its fourteen charter members to between one and hundred to two hundred dedicated athletes today. Motherhood is not a requirement for membership, although 80 percent of the group's women have children. Members pay annual dues, work out privately during the week and participate in a team practice on Saturday mornings, when they train for competitions.

Moms in Motion participants give back to the community. Their philanthropic and volunteer efforts have benefited causes such as Storyteller and Operation School Bell. Last year's focus was on the Dr. Susan Love MD Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

For local women, there's something for everybody. If you're not into a sprint triathlon (swim 500 meters, bike six miles and run two miles) the Sole Sisters Hiking/Walking team provides a nurturing alternative. Saturday training for this group incorporates six different hiking trails, six endurance walks, and yoga to improve stretching and stamina. A naturalist even joins them to talk about the natural beauty on their journeys. The group just started a new trail hiking group, a running program with track and trail workouts over a variety of terrains, and a Mom's walking group (kids are welcome) focusing on the more social aspects of a weekly exercise program.

In 2003, Moms in Motion triathletes participated in Santa Barbara All-Women's Triathlon, and the Sole sisters walked and raised money for breast cancer research in the Fourth Annual Barbara Ireland Walk for the Cure half-marathon walk/run in September. A month later, in October, Jamie was inducted into the Santa Barbara Triathlon Hall of Fame.

Jennifer says she had to first learn to swim before competing in the sprint triathlon. While standing on East Beach and watching the very unusual nine-foot stormy swells for her first triathlon competition, she had second thoughts. Her friend and training partner, Marla Gamberdella, noticed her from beyond the breakers and swam back in to literally lend a helping hand. Together, they successfully completed the 500-meter swimming event.