Health And Wellness Club Returns To Wolfson After Seven-Year Hiatus
Chanmi Kim has always been active.
As a kid, her parents signed her up to play volleyball, gymnastics and basketball to channel her energetic personality. But, it wasn’t until her late teens that she found her athletic passion: weight lifting.
“I’m in love with it,” said Kim, a second-year nursing student in the Honors College at Wolfson Campus. “It just serves as a secondary therapy to me.”
So naturally, when Kim arrived at Miami Dade College last fall from Guatemala and discovered that the Health and Wellness Club at the downtown campus had been dormant for the past seven years, she took action.
This May, the 19-year-old enlisted the help of Daniel Estape, the director of the Fitness and Wellness Center at Wolfson Campus, and revived the fitness organization.
The club, which currently has 38 members, hosts a group workout session every Monday—except for the third Monday of the month—at 1 p.m. in the Kyriakides Plaza at Wolfson Campus, 300 N.E. 2nd Ave. They plan to host nutrition workshops, group workout sessions and participate in local volunteering initiatives such as next month’s 5K Pink Walk Run and Walk.
“It is so fun, having a community that pushes you to the next level,” said Kim, who is the club’s president and also serves as the student government association vice president at the campus. “Failure is celebrated in fitness because it means you gave it your all and pushed yourself to the maximum.”
The group’s workout sessions have three levels of intensity so members can select what best fits their needs. Workouts are planned by Walzer Bien-Aime, a fitness coordinator at the center, who serves as the club’s co-advisor.
Members can also obtain mental health first aid certification and raise awareness about MDC’s free therapy sessions through Single Stop by posting QR codes throughout the campus that refer students to the services.
Students at all MDC campuses are eligible to join the club by getting a Fitness and Wellness Center membership.
“I hope students take advantage of the different things this organization is doing on campus,” said Estape, who co-advises the club.
In the next few weeks, the organization plans to participate in various events to continue to grow membership. They will have a booth at the Wolfson Campus Club Rush event on Sept. 6 at noon and organize a pull-up competition. That same day, the club will have a HIIT workout at 1 p.m.
On Sept. 28, the club is hosting a blood donation drive in collaboration with OneBlood at Kyriakides Plaza from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Donors will receive a $20 gift card and a wellness checkup that includes blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count and a cholesterol screening.
But the organization’s main mission is to keep people active.
“My] favorite thing about the club is seeing someone come from point A to B and a month or two [later] they’re gaining great results,” said Johnny Elisse, who serves as vice president.
To join or obtain more information about the Health and Wellness Club, contact Daniel Estape at destape@mdc.edu or direct message the organization’s Instagram account at @getfitwolfson.
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