Our November Mom of the Month!

Our Mom of the Month program honors moms for their efforts to lead healthy lifestyles and gives us a chance to get to know them better at the same time! November's Mom of the Month is Danielle Quinn, aka Camryn's mom, and one of our talented Stroller Strides instructors! We're fortunate to know Danielle as an instructor, classmate, and friend. Here are a few interesting tidbits to get to know her even better...

Hometown - Bennington, Vermont

Education - Masters in Sociology @ University of Connecticut, Bachelor of Arts @ St Lawrence University

Stroller Strides Member since - April 2009
Stroller Strides Instructor since - January 2010
Members of your Family - 3 and counting (Me, Mike and Camryn, baby Quinn due in February)

Current Career - Realtor with Coldwell Banker HPW (and I am always looking for referrals and new clients!), Stroller Strides Instructor, and of course a MOM!

What was your childhood ambition? My 6th grade yearbook says, "I want to be a realtor when I grow up." I'm not sure I really knew what a realtor was, but I have always loved houses. And I also wanted to ski all the time so being a ski bum was a frequent response to what I wanted to do.

What does motherhood mean to you? Pure happiness. Camryn makes me smile everyday, all day. It means hard work, complete devotion and absolute happiness in return.

What is the furthest you have been from home? Europe. I did a semester in London my junior year of college and traveled to Paris, Rome, Florence, Brussels, several cities in Ireland and Scotland... I'm not sure which is actually the farthest, but it was an amazing semester.

What has Stroller Strides done for you? I first joined to meet other moms after moving to North Carolina and multi-task by getting a workout at the same time. I have found it to be inspirational, motivating and have made wonderful friendships. I love every second of it. Workouts used to be tough to fit into my day and now it is part of my routine and lifestyle to fit in my "me time" and something healthy for myself. And more recently, as Camryn has gotten older, I am so proud to find that I have taught her that being healthy and exercising is an important part of life. She "plays" Stroller Strides and looks forward to going to class.

What is your favorite exercise? Using the band to "double pole" tricep extension with a bend at the waist. It reminds me of skiing.

What is your proudest moment? Besides the obvious of bringing Camryn in the world, probably coming in 5th in the state (VT) for ski racing my second year on skis. I worked hard for it and the determination paid off.

What are three of your favorite things (besides your family!)? Giggling with Camryn (our girl time together is priceless), Skiing (although it doesn't happen much anymore living in NC), Art (Painting and Ceramics)

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or makes you unique. - I guess this is more something unique to someone living in North Carolina. - I grew up skiing every day of my childhood up through college. I was on a Division I ski team -St. Lawrence University (along with Thomas Vonn, the now husband and coach of olympian Lindsay Vonn). I skied with amazing athletes over the years and went to the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympics to watch 7 of my friends compete in the olympics. It was a former life I miss terribly, but the experiences I had and the lessons I learned have been life lessons that have impacted many aspects of my life today...even if I don't see snow much anymore!

If we asked your spouse what they think your best qualities are, what would they say? - I'm a hard worker. I'm organized and on top of things.