showcase magazine | summer 2012
the art of living
american heart program changes and saves lives Thirty-five-year old Angela Wheeler knew all about stress. While her husband survived both pancreatic cancer and a heart transplant, she developed a serious weight problem, lacked exercise, and was a mother of two. Things needed to change. design, wellness & escapes
Enter Connie Hara. She directs the Go Red for Women heart health program for the South Sound division of the American Heart Association. Based on the 12-week Better U health makeover plan—outlined on the Go Red for Women website—she created a new program by the same name, accessing local health care organizations. She wanted to reach women at risk. Many women from Pierce and Thurston counties applied for the Better U program. Wheeler was one of only 13 selected between the ages 30-60. Hara explained the selection process: “They had to fill out a five-page application and tell us what they ate, how often they exercised, what their goals were, and what they wanted to get out of it. I think they came into this thinking, ‘Sure, that sounds like fun. Yeah, I could make some changes.’ But what we really found out is that all of us are at risk. Among women, heart disease remains the No. 1 killer, causing one in three deaths,” said Hara.
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