Chrissy Chard is an Assistant Professor with the Colorado School of Public Health at Colorado State University, with a focus in Community and Behavioral Health. She is also the co-founder of Smart Fit Girls, Inc., a non-profit adolescent girls’ empowerment program. She received her PhD in Human Bioenergetics in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University. Her research focuses on physical activity and psychosocial health in adolescent girls and community-based participatory research. She has much experience in health and wellness coaching, both in a clinical setting as well as with the general population. Chrissy resides in Fort Collins, CO with her husband, 2.5 year old daughter Lucille, and one-year old son Jack. She enjoys leading an active lifestyle through lifting weights (or her children) and family walks to the park.IG: www.instagram.com/smartfitgirls and www.instagram.com/chrissy_chardFB: https://www.facebook.com/smartfitgirlsinc/Website: www.smartfitgirls.orgExpanding the vision of what health is and who is involvedLearning about “health equity” by intentionally engaging with communities Going into a community and thinking - “What can we learn from you?” and “What are your strengths?”Mutually and equally coming together as one to raise everyone’s bar The beginning of Smart Fit Girls, an organization built to empower girls by embracing their bodies and gaining notable feelings of belonging and worthiness Acknowledging the systems at play in today’s society that are misrepresenting true body size, shape and color“If we don’t push for broader representation of body image in the media, we will never be able to feel good about ourselves.”Paying attention to our first thoughts of stereotyping, questioning where that judgment came from and then correcting itA reminder to stay uncomfortable: “My ability to walk through the world comfortably is one more example of my privilege.”“The most important outcome from this program is that these girls come out feeling like they are worthy, period.”Supporting the Self-Determination Theory of competence, autonomy and relatednessDebunking stigmas by introducing girls to strength training as early as elementary schoolCreating a progressive overload and benefits as the children continue to grow “The best thing moms can do is model loving themselves.”Supporting Smart Fit Girls through upcoming events Thank you listeners!! Please leave a review if you enjoyed and checkout my links below to get plugged in more to what I'm doing.PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP: www.facebook.com/groups/1292792567518714/Find more on Em here:@emilyschrommwww.emilyschromm.comyoutube.com/emilyschromm