Toni Reece: Hi there. This is Toni Reece, and welcome to the Get Inspired! Project for Berks County Living Magazine. Today I have Debbie Stiller with me. Hi, Debbie.
Debbie Stiller: Hi. How are you today?
Toni: I’m great. How are you doing?
Debbie: I’m doing great.
Toni: It’s not snowing outside.
Debbie: Thank goodness, right?
Toni: I know. Alright, Debbie. Welcome to the Project. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Debbie: Well, again, my name is Debbie Stiller. I am the Director of Wellness and Aquatics at Body Zone Sports and Wellness Complex. Hopefully you’re familiar with us. I actually started at Body Zone on day one when we opened many years ago. I was there for five years, then was gone for seven, and I’ve been back for almost four as the Director. I have a vast amount of experience, and most of it has been mental health and behavior programming.
The whole wellness approach that Body Zone has really, really hits home with me. What I love about Body Zone and my role is that we really look at the whole person and yes, physical activity is a huge part of wellness, obviously, but it encompasses so much more. What we do at Body Zone is we really try to look at every person as an individual, and then base how we help and guide that person towards their goals. A lot of times, the goals have to do with fitness, but a lot of times, there’s other pieces of that as well. Body Zone has the ability to help with that. We actually have measurable tools that we can use to help an individual reach their goals.
I don’t know about you, but I know for me if I’m feeling positive, if I have a lot of strength and a lot of self-confidence in myself, then I feel like I’m able to deal with obstacles that get in our way; and obstacles always get in our way in life, whether it be with regards to physical abilities, our job, relationships, whatever that may be. Everything is so wrapped up in that one package. We have so many people at Body Zone who are able to help, whether it be our personal training staff, whether it be our group fitness staff, whether it be our one-on-one programs that we have where we actually do address behavior modification, ways to change how we view our place in the world, and what we deserve. If we think we deserve good things, then we’ll put things in our body. We’ll move. We’ll do all those things that will help us grow as individuals.
Toni: Okay. Well, I would think you would have to be inspired as well to do that.
Debbie: Oh, my goodness, absolutely.
Toni: Let’s go into the Project. What does inspiration mean to you?
Debbie: I would have to say for me, it’s what gives me that extra oomph to get out of bed in the morning, honestly. Sometimes I know I feel we can get into a routine or a rut, and that happens to me. I try to find things that do inspire me to help me get out of bed. Sometimes it’s as simple — or maybe not so simple — but as simple as knowing that when I wake up, I’m going to get a huge greeting and kiss from my dog. His love and his unconditional warmth means the world to me.
Sometimes I am inspired by some of the people that I meet in my environment at work; people who have had struggles and pushed through. Something that is always an inspiration for me is when in light of bad things that are handed to us, we push through anyway. I certainly rely on things in my own life that I’ve had to push through, and that pushes me forward and inspires me because having all those things having happened, and I was able to push through them, wouldn’t it be really a sad story to give up if I pushed through all of that for what? I want to be able to rely on that inspiration for myself, and hopefully pass that on to others as well.
Toni: Your inspiration definition sounds to me as though it’s about tenacity and resilience.
Debbie: Oh, my goodness. Absolutely. That’s a perfect way to put it.
Toni: That’s fantastic. So, how do you take that skill and characteristic of tenacity, resilience, pushing through, and how do you put that into practice when you’re inspired here in Berks County?
Debbie: I do it on a day-to-day basis in my job, and in my personal life as well. Focusing right now just sort of on…because I spend so many hours at work. At work, I put it into practice with the people that I work with. I would say that one of the most important things I do is listen. Listening to others’ life experiences and their perspective without judgment is by far the best thing that I can think to do to help people push forward and to help them have their own inspiration. If we do not listen and really ask questions to try to understand someone else’s point of view and their experience, there is no way that I can be of any kind of help as a change agent.
People come through our doors every day who have never stepped foot in a fitness facility. They’re petrified. They have a preconceived idea as to what they’re going to find. They’re overwhelmed. Some of it is just about watching their body language, listening, trying to understand what in their life has worked and what hasn’t worked, and how we can make them feel comforted, and then trust. If they can trust me, then maybe eventually they can trust themselves. That’s the first step. It happens every day in my work life, and in my personal life as well.
Toni: Who in Berks County inspires you?
Debbie: I was blessed in crossing paths with Kim Rivera, who brought Girls On the Run to Berks County. I was a head coach for two seasons for a Girls On the Run team. Body Zone was a Girls On the Run site. It was by far one of the most enlightening experiences I have ever had. I’ve worked a lot in mental health. I’ve worked with women who’ve struggled with abuse, eating disorder issues, and trauma. Those were all extremely moving, but the Girls On the Run program and the tenacity that Kim had in bringing it to Berks County, and how lucky and blessed we are as coaches who’ve done it...everyone who’s been involved in the Girls On the Run program, and then all those girls that come through and learn about their worth, learn about self-esteem, learn that we all have value, just in the fact that we are.
I have immense respect for Kim, and the program lives on. She’s no longer a part of that, but that program is thriving. Body Zone is a sponsor, and we will hopefully be a site again in the fall, and I will hopefully again be the head coach. It’s just been incredible.
Toni: Oh, that’s fantastic. Anybody else you want to mention?
Debbie: Well, on a personal side, I volunteer a lot at the Animal Rescue League in Berks County. I’ve been very inspired by the new Executive Director there at the ARL. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but the ARL now has an initiative to be no kill by 2019. I am more than excited about that. Again, we’re talking about value of living beings. These animals have intrinsic value, and I would say that every person involved in that, even the ones we don’t see, really they inspire me every day. I’m grateful to be able to volunteer there.
Toni: Fantastic. So, Debbie, what do you want your legacy to be?
Debbie: I thought a little bit about this. I had seen the question, and it’s not necessarily a concrete thing. I think for me, it’s about kindness. I hope that I’m always remembered as someone who was kind to everyone I encountered, and compassionate, and nonjudgmental. I hope my legacy is that people remember me as a good friend and someone who cared, and helped others realize their own self-worth and self-potential. We all have it, and sometimes we get stuck. I’d like to be that person who helps unstick people.
Toni: You are living your legacy right now, aren’t you?
Debbie: I think I am.
Toni: How cool is that?
Debbie: Yes. It’s pretty great.
Toni: It is. Thank you again for taking the time to show up for the Get Inspired! Project. It’s been a pleasure. Thank you again.
Debbie: Thank you for having me.
