An educational day with a focus on women’s health
Fun, Fit and Fabulous, the signature Woman’s Health Conference from Highmark rained down on the David L. Lawrence Conference Center in downtown Pittsburgh. More than 1000 participants from all parts of Pennsylvania took part in workshops of every type imaginable.
Every topic from how to handle the stress and pain associated with a loss of a loved one by Jennifer Antkowiak; to restoring your financial health by Sara Mohsin, co-founder of Mohsin Mortgage Corporation and everything in between. Some of these included Autoimmunity—diseases of self sabotage, What Women Need to Know; Matters of the Heart—Are Women Wired Differently?; Insanity—pushing past the limits; Tai Chi for Health; and Smoothies and Juicing—Are they the Secrets to Staying Healthy, Young and beautiful? just to list a few.
The conference, which is 13 years old, previously was held only in Hershey, Pa., but beginning in 2013, the hosting alternately switched between Pittsburgh and Hershey. This is the second time it has been held in Pittsburgh. According to Atiya Abdelmalik, director of Community Programs & Employee Volunteerism at Highmark Health, the day is designed to help women find their “fabulous self” through the inspiring workshops and present them with the tools and education on how to manage chronic conditions like heart diseases and diabetes as well as how to prevent them.
With opening remarks from Yvonne Cook, president of Highmark Foundation, and Abdelmalik, attendees were welcomed, encouraged and challenged to look inside themselves for the answers they were seeking all along.
The conference was themed around the “Wizard of Oz.” In the outfit of Glinda the Good Witch, Abdelmalik spoke to the audience during the opening session. She urged them to use the day to find their own “yellow brick road” experience to create and redefine their personal journey to health.
In regards to this year’s event, Evan Frazier, senior vice president Community Affairs with Highmark, said, “This is how we continue to be a part of the community and it serves as a demonstration of how we are always looking for creative ways to engage women and men as well as helping them develop a sense of personal empowerment around their health.”
Friends Marlana Parker-Edge, 68, of the Hill District, and 56-year-old Aretha Meggett, of the North Side, have traveled previously to the conference in Hershey. They shared that they were first invited to go by a friend, so a group from their church, Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, got together and went on the bus together. Edge said, “It was a fabulous experience in Hershey—completely worth the trip.”
Bonita Penn, a poet who resides on the North Side and was attending her second Fun, Fit, Fabulous Conference, said, “I knew I was coming again today because I always enjoy the camaraderie that flows among women as we all partake in getting ourselves together emotionally, physically and spiritually.
“A highlight for me was taking the Insanity fitness class; the challenge of the class was that it pushed you to where you think you really couldn’t go. I felt it later that night, but I got through it and that was the bonus.”
Forty-two-year-old Latiffa Miller, of Greenfield, the executive director of a program for girls called Daughters of Zion, shared that this was her ninth conference. She traveled to Hershey to attend the conference until it came to Pittsburgh. She shares, “The sessions I attended keep me reminded of how crucial it is to be my best self and not be stuck. I thoroughly enjoyed them all especially FAB-U with Denise!!!”
The keynote presentation was made by best selling author, certified personal & executive coach, Valorie Burton; her talk was immediately followed with a conversation between her, Abdelmalik and the audience.
In keeping with the theme of the day, Burton’s address urged attendees to get unstuck and become unstoppable. Burton who has been a frequent guest on CNN, the “TODAY” show, and many more media outlets, shared the recipe for making life happier even when beset by challenges, for speaking up with confidence rather than settling for less, and navigating through set backs and disappointments in a way that make life better not bitter. Penn shared, “a highlight of her talk for me was her instruction to not spend money because of insecurity or to self soothe—that in particular is an issue for me.”
The conference concluded with continued movement down the Yellow Brick Road with line dancing led by Roland Ford along with door prizes and closing remarks.
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