Karen Johnson & Barbara Dial

These 2 women are both true athletes and have incredible spirit and strength. they have been active in competitive sports throughout their lives. They have also dealt with difficult and challenging circumstances in their personal lives with dignity and perseverance. I truly enjoyed being with them and learning more about their lives. We especially had fun on the “photo shoot”.

Thank you Karen and Barbara, for sharing some of yourselves with us.

Karen Johnson:  This excerpt is direct from Karen, it sounded so heartfelt and thoughtful I decided to let Karen tell you about Karen!

“At this stage in my life (I’m 47), I sense that I am gaining emotional and mental strength, setting the stage for generativity, or giving back to society. I do not yet know what lies ahead, but I am certainly hopeful. I attribute this to an innate holistic approach to life. I have always sought a strong body. I lettered in volleyball, basketball, and track in high school. I ran on the boys’ track team until we got one of our own. Then, I met Russ my first day of ROTC! We married after I graduated college. He is my rock.

I have been lifting weights and going to gyms for more than 30 years now. I earned my certification in personal training from the American Council on Exercise just for the fun of it really. After we both resigned our military commissions, Taekwondo helped us to grow immensely as individuals and reminded us that it is about leadership and giving back as well. In Georgia, I was drafted by the Running Journal Women’s Team. I felt at home amongst these strong women who worked at staying healthy. The marathon offers such a rewarding personal journey. How could I forget to list my passions: gardening, the piano, and especially my kids! (4 dobermans)

Karen’s words on yoga: “My focus is shifting to the experience itself: the celebration. Yoga ties in perfectly with my holistic journey! It provides an ideal environment to calm and strengthen my soul. I love the energy I feel in the room during class. It is enormously nurturing to me.”

There is NOTHING boring about your classes! I am constantly focusing. This is what I always hoped a yoga class would be like. Yoga has affected me so positively as a human being and especially as a runner. My gold yoga mat was given to me just before the Marine Corps Marathon. Volunteers handed out hundreds of mats so runners could stretch in the parking lot. The message of yoga's benefits to runners stuck with me subconsciously. What I love about yoga is the philosophy of being active in a nurturing way. I believe yoga is enhancing my inner strength, calmness and happiness. Just like Taekwondo, yoga is affecting me in ways I am not yet aware of. At this stage in my life, your classes are essential!