Meet the Challenge

The American Heart Association has a challenge: To ensure that cardiovascular disease will no longer be the No. 1 killer of women. Thanks to the Go Red For Women nationwide movement, teams of local women are stepping up to meet that challenge with the Go Red For Women Girlfriends Challenge, a 12-week lifestyle makeover. Working with UW Health experts the teams are making healthy, realistic changes in their lives around nutrition, exercise, stress reduction and more. Meet the teams below, then support them on their journey online!

Follow each team as they blog about their progress on uwhealth.org/girlfriends

Mending Hearts (above)

About the team: Being healthy isn’t just this team’s mission, it’s their life’s work. All co-workers at UW Hospital, these five women spend their days and nights caring for others. Follow Mending Hearts as they work toward their goal of caring for themselves and establishing healthier habits. 

Their challenges: Odd working hours can lead to poor eating habits, not enough time to work out and stress. 

Team members (from left): Leigh-Anne Lottridge, Missy Mael, Kaysi McGhie, Jennifer Stephens and Natasha Younger

Crimson Goddesses

About the team: Meet the Crimson Goddesses, three busy women with one mission: To give their health the attention it deserves. After years of focusing on their respective families, this upbeat team is ready for the challenge of learning new, healthier habits. For them, it’s all about rediscovering themselves, and finding healthy ways to get there. 

Their challenges: To get up and get moving consistently by finding activities and routines that are easy to incorporate into busy schedules. 

Team members (from left): Deb Schroeder, Lisa Olmsted and Meg Zopelis

Red Rockers

About the team: You don’t want to mess with the Red Rockers. All employed by the Rock County Sheriff’s Office and the Rock County Jail, these three women are serious about making a change in their lives. Their goal? To make changes that will set themselves up for a long, healthy future.

Their challenges: Discovering what the “right” choices are for healthy eating for themselves and their families—and ways to be active every day.

Team members (from left): Barb Meister, Rhoda Grosenick and Pat Swartout

Become a BetterU

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that no one can make big changes in their lives without support. These four inspiring women are taking on the challenge in a different way: Through Go Red BetterU, an online program that gives you tips and tools for creating change on your own. Join them on the path to heart health today by following them online!

About the team: Four busy women at various stages of life, these pals are ready to take you along on their triumphs and struggles while creating healthy changes in their lives. 

Their challenges: Beating snack attacks! Finding healthy foods their families will eat along with fitness options that are easy to maintain. 

Team members: Kelly Hofmeister, Karen Williams, Heather Hofmeister and Mary Lou Karas

Find out how they’re meeting their challenges by following the link to their blog at bravamagazine.com!

Join these women on the path to good health by signing up for the Go Red BetterU program today at GoRedFor-Women.org/Betteru!

One more way to join the movement

Don’t miss Elishah Oesch, Jamie Hersch and Diana Henry, news anchors and reporters from WKOW27, as they take the challenge! Follow their reports on the WKOW Blog.

Join the BetterU Program | Follow BRAVA's BetterU Blog

Photos by Amber Arnold