MY NAME IS Sandra Barrett and I am passionate about nutrition and wellness.

It started in high school when I realized my food choices affected how I felt. Friends would choose fast food for lunch, but I found that fast food made me sick to my stomach and tired. So I began to pack a healthy lunch and noticed that I felt much better and had more energy for basketball practice.

My passion for helping people with their wellness also began in high school. My best friend was not happy with her weight, so together we would take long bike rides and do the Jane Fonda Workout at 5 a.m. many mornings.

While, I’ve always been interested in nutrition and wellness it hasn’t always been easy for me.  I have had my fair share of challenges and disappointments. I was in a car accident 28 years ago that shattered my foot and left me with a lifetime of issues. I have had countless surgeries and have spent an excess amount of time depending on crutches, wheelchairs and knee scooters.

Until the car accident, I enjoyed running and competing in 10K races. After my foot injury, even physical therapy and shoe modifications could not make running an option for me. I needed to find a new sport to fill my exercise void; I discovered endurance cycling. I have worked hard to stay committed to my cycling goals and move beyond the frustration and physical limitations that could have discouraged me and held me back.

This past year I turned 50, and exercising and eating right have become non-negotiable components to my good health. I need to work out most days of the week and make conscious food choices to feel my best and create longevity.

I hold bachelor’s degrees in elementary education and mathematics and a master’s degree in education, which allowed me to teach middle school mathematics for 15 years. While teaching math, I realized my math knowledge and the teaching experience gave me the tools to earn a degree in nutrition and become a certified nutrition and wellness educator and dietetic technician. Now I can follow my lifelong passion and coach people to enjoy better health through nutrition choices and wellness habits.