You Be You Wellness [UBU]

WHAT: 

You Be You Wellness (UBU) offers four streams of programming:

• UBU: Girls - Focuses on empowering young girls to move more, try more new things, connect more & become more self-aware in a multi-session format (annual spring/fall multi-week, out-of-school programs & can customize to fit into option blocks of school schedules,too).
  ***Fall program Oct.8-Dec. 3 - is underway***
• UBU: Sports - Works on team-building, leadership, inclusiveness & gelling on & off the court/ice/field for youth U11-U17 group-based sports or physical activities including gymnastics, dance & any gender or sport. Typically in a 2-3 workshop format per team.
• UBU: Schools - Offers variety for Gr. 5-9, co-ed, Sport For Life/ Sport Fit/ Sports Performance or Phys. Ed. classes by blending fitness and mindful activities. Can help inspire/coach teachers or parents to start up a school run club with "try, no tryouts" philosophy to encourage consistent movement & sense of belonging , rather than competition.
  ***8-week UBU: Schools/Girls program underway at ecole Michaelle-Jean***
• UBU: Adults - Creates an inclusive space to workout at your own intensity in a bootcamp/ circuit-style setting, indoors and outdoors.

Each program offers participants space to practice overall well-being as they create connections through physical activity and conversations relevant to them. In small-to-medium-sized group settings, participants engage in fitness-related activities combined with mindful exercises like journaling that help them be more in the present moment.

BACKGROUND/EVOLUTION: 

UBU: Girls launched a 10-week, weekly program for Gr. 6-8 girls in April 2018, with a focus of empowerment, active wellness, and a mindful life. It was followed up in October by an 8-week program, with the same intent & will continue every spring and fall in Sherwood Park (open to expanding into other cities-please send ideas and requests). 

• Host locations of 2018 sessions: The Bridge & The Spark Centre. (See bios of spring 2018 guest instructors and bios of fall 2018 guest instructors)
• Follow UBU's blog for posts about previous sessions & the current programs. 

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UBU: Schools will work with Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) Catholic Gr. 5-8 Sport for Life students this Oct-Nov.

Will lead an 8-week UBU: Girls/Schools blended program within Ecole Michaelle-Jean Oct. 2-Dec. 12 with Gr. 7-9 female students during school time.

During the 2018/19 school year, UBU: Schools worked with St. Theresa Catholic School, Hillcrest Junior High & Vimy Ridge Academy in January-May 2019.

Currently working with Vimy Ridge Academy Gr. 7  Sport Fit students to become more self-aware and determine their why. Why are they active? Why are they in Sport Fit? What are their goals? UBU: Schools is doing quarterly check-ins with the students throughout the 2019/20 school year.

Sessions were held with Grade 5, 7 & 8 students in St. Theresa's Catholic School's Sport For Life program, which is based on the Canadian Sport for Life (CS4L) model that exposes students to a variety of sport and recreation activities to build athletic skill and leadership qualities and help create lifelong active and healthy lifestyles.

"From my coordinating position, the reason we had you in to lead some Sport For Life classes was that you provided a unique blend of physical challenges and activities, while also providing students with an opportunity to connect socially/emotionally with each other. You provided an environment and leadership presence that allowed the students to gain physical benefits while growing as individuals, partners, and groups. We will definitely be recommending you to schools in our division." - Kurt Davison, St. Theresa Catholic School, Sport For Life Program Lead 

Hillcrest Junior High welcomed UBU: Schools to lead mindfully active sessions with co-ed Gr. 8 & 9 Sports Performance classes.

Vimy Ridge Academy had UBU: Schools lead mindfully active sessions with co-ed Gr. 7 Sport Fit classes.

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UBU: Adults started in January 2019 with a 6-week, Women's only program held in the Spark Centre for those just starting back into their fitness journey.

"I really like the fact that Michelle focuses on form over anything else. Getting the foundations right at the beginning is very important. Her approach is also very inclusive; I felt welcome in her classes, and did not have to concern myself with how I look, or what I saw in the mirror – because there were none! Although I am familiar with many of the exercises she taught, it was nice to have my form corrected – a good way to break some old habits." - Anna, participant in Jan/Feb Women's only adult 6-week session.

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UBU: Sports Working with a U15 SPDSA Phoenix girls soccer team with some team-building and leadership sessions for the 2019/20 indoor season.

Worked with a Sherwood Park-based U13 club girls' soccer team for a team-building workshop before the team's provincial playoffs in March 2019.

"Michelle adapted the delivery of the program to suit the type of group she was interacting with. The girls are active, competitive, and full of energy all the time. There was a good mix of activities that allowed the girls to be active and have fun but understand the lessons and tools being given to them." - U13 Girls Sherwood Park Phoenix Soccer Coach, Mike Tennant. 

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WHO: 

The founder and lead instructor of UBU sessions is Michelle Lindstrom: a mom of two girls (8 and 12), wife, long-distance runner, journalist, editor, and multi-sport enthusiast, including playing junior high and high school volleyball and competitive softball from youth into adulthood.

CERTIFICATIONS/COURSES: 

Michelle has her Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA) certifications in group fitness specifically in 

• Ever Active Kids (i.e., focusing on children and adolescent physical development; planning creative programming while being aware of physical, psychological, social, and moral factors of youth; using various positive motivational tools; and understanding physical literacy and fundamental movement skills)
• Group Fitness (i.e., lead group exercise classes with an awareness of trends, media, music, movement and cueing, exercise analysis, and special populations)
• Portable Equipment (i.e., specific to leading group exercise classes with non-gym-machine/portable equipment focusing on class structure and content; planning, leadership, choreography, movement combinations, safety, and providing alternate movements).

Michelle is a trained journalist (SAIT print journalism diploma) with more than a decade's worth of writing about many people and topics including youth and fitness, interviewing local leaders, gathering research, and editing for publications including Avenue magazine (Edmonton), YEGFitness, IMPACT, METRO Edmonton, LEAP, Heroes, Calgary Herald, and more, giving her the practical knowledge of how journaling is a useful tool and taught a Next Step Continuing Education Mindful Journaling Adult course that she applies to youth UBU programs to help them express themselves and be mindful.

Links to some articles written by Michelle:

• Just Show Up – Avenue Edmonton 
• Get Moving, Girl – YegFitness Magazine 
• Body Image Breakdown - new-normal blog

Michelle is also a trained Architectural Technologist (NAIT Architectural Technology diploma) with roughly 13 years experience of manual and computer-aided drafting (AutoCAD) and design for interior, exterior, commercial and residential projects with home builders, furniture dealerships, engineering offices, and an interior design firm. 

STRENGTHS GAINED FROM DIVERSE EXPERIENCE:

• Attention to detail
• Ability to communicate/connect with various age & interest groups
• Innovative & flexible
• Ability to create & execute ideas
• Eagerness to improve on existing ideas/methods
• Willingness to collaborate/teamwork
• Ability to work alone
• Strong work ethic
• Effective time management
• Self-driven
• Desire to make the world better
• Always wanting to learn more & get better
• Continually setting new goals

 CONTINUED LEARNING/RESOURCES

• Fast and Female “Keeping Girls in Sport” webinar, August 2019
• CPR C/Standard First Aid Certification, June 2019
• The Sport Conference at the University of Alberta, May/June 2019
• Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sports and Physical Activity (CAAWS) “Keeping Girls in Sport” online course certification, April 2019
• “Power of Positive Coaching” with Jane King webinar, April 2019
• Health & Physical Education Council (HPEC) 2018 Fall Drive-in Workshop
• John Ratey, MD’s book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain
• Shawn Achor’s books, Big Potential and The Happiness Advantage

HANDS-ON COACHING/LEADING GROUPS

• Run/endurance coach for U13 girls’ soccer team to train for a MEC 5K, summer 2018 
• Creation & facilitation of Walk the Talk Speaker School Series, Jan-March 2017
• Creation & facilitation of Girls Group, January-March 2016
• Creation & coach Lakeland Ridge Grades 3&4 co-ed Fun Run Club, spring 2016 & 2015 
• Creation & facilitation of “Girl Empowerment” program, spring 2015 & 2014
• Running Room Learn to Run Clinic Instructor, fall 2014