Members of the Ottawa Alumnae Chapter know what
it takes to be a
princess: commitment, courage, determination, perseverance and strength. These
attributes are prominently displayed as chapter members lace up their running
shoes and prepare to participate in Disney's Princess Half Marathon.
As the Ottawa Alumnae Chapter president, one of Aiza Belen's, Ottawa, major goals is to promote health and well-being among members. Having recovered from depression earlier this year, Aiza cites Tri Delta as being an important resource in her recovery.
"As a young alumna meeting so many women who were at different stages in their lives, I noticed that many women were ambitious in tackling jobs, careers, families, love, hobbies and passions," Aiza says. "I got caught in the trap of juggling too much, and it was a sister of mine who introduced me to running as an important stress reliever."
So when fellow sister Caroline Welsh, Ottawa, came across Disney's Princess Half Marathon — a 13.1 mile (21.1 kilometer) run held every year in February at Walt Disney World — on Facebook, she decided to share it with her Ottawa chapter.
"I thought the Disney's Princess Marathon would be a great way to celebrate our resilience and to show the world that we are strong, we persevere and we are princesses at heart!" says Aiza.
With Caroline heading up the training regiment, the chapter is preparing to run in the 2012 marathon, whose date will be determined next year. So far, three sisters have confirmed their commitment to the run.
"As a sort of preliminary round to the 21.1 kilometer race, I made a stipulation that each lady interested in running the half marathon first run a 5 kilometer race then a 10 kilometer race to see how training and racing fit into her life," Caroline says.
As a kick start to winter training, Caroline has initiated the Tri Delta Winter Challenge where each participant will not only exercise a minimum of three times a week, but must also run at least once. Each member will report back to everyone with their activities, time and distance, and prizes will be given out at the end of the month to the top performers.
So far the women are on target with each of the participants already having completed at least a 5 or 10 kilometer race. Aside from running, the women also use activities such as swimming, yoga and Muay Thai to help whip themselves into top racing shape.
The chapter is also expanding their group and inviting collegiate members in the Ottawa area to participate in the marathon. They encourage any interested Tri Deltas to join them in this fun-filled, tiara-topped race.
You can find more information about the marathon on the Disney website or you can contact Aiza Belen via email.
