Name
Caprice McDonald
Company/Organization
YMCA of Greater Michiana
What Does Your Company/Organization Do?
From exercise to education, from basketball to volunteerism, from preschool to preventive health, the YMCA of St. Joseph doesn’t just strengthen our bodies, it strengthens our community. The YMCA is a cause, dedicated to: Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility
Age
37
Accomplishments
I originally started at the Y as a yoga instructor, and I have established one of our most popular, challenging, and well attended yoga classes!! My responsibilities have expanded to overseeing our corporate wellness program and the Healthy Corner Store initiative. I have the community’s best interest at heart and I constantly work to make Berrien County a better, healthier place. In the time I’ve worked with the Y, I’ve helped develop a comprehensive Corporate Wellness program to help local employers promote health and wellness in the work place. This work includes facilitating workplace fitness classes, lunch and learns, organizational fitness challenges, and introducing organizations to healthier food options and online fitness platforms. I also oversee the growth of the Healthy Corner Stores program. This initiative is a partnership through Be Healthy Berrien which helps increase access to healthy, fresh foods in food desert communities across Berrien County. In less than a year, I have added two new stores that have started selling fresh produce in their community.
What else do you hope to accomplish by the age of 40?
Since becoming a mother, 5 years ago, I have spent an extensive amount of time caring for those around me, within my home and for my community. Before I turn 40, I want to rediscover myself in the sense of care, health and wellness. The wellness industry has always been a home for my professional self and at this point my heart is calling me home, in a way that seems distant right now. Any caregiver can get lost in their pursuit to better those around themselves and I am finally feeling confident in my immediate circle to shift betterment to my own personal best life efforts.
Education
B.A. of Communication, SDSU Yoga Instructor Cert Group Fitness Instructor Cert Heart Health Ambassador
What Town Do You Reside In?
St. Joseph, Mi
Where were you born?
El Paso, Tx
What was your first job?
Receptionist at Great Clips
Best advice you ever got?
The secret to life is to eat less and exercise more.
Who inspires you most?
My husband, who is always understanding, empathetic and funnier than a fart in a yoga class!
That one thing about you we’d be most surprised to learn.
I have recently picked up the profound addiction to pro wrestling!
What do you love to do in your downtime?
Hang in my backyard, that we are crafting to become an oasis, with my family.
What book are you reading now?
Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom (Iyengar)
Volunteer activity you love the most.
I shamefully do not currently volunteer, but I would be more that interested in walking shelter dogs.
What motivates you to give back to your community?
Community is how we build our home. To give back and to be integrated in a meaningful way keeps us tethered to those who makes us stronger.
What Superpower would you most love to have? (for example, the ability to fly or to be invisible, or incredible strength, etc)
I would love to travel through time and see life throughout my different lifetime experiences, as well as different periods of human evolution.
What would you like to leave behind as your legacy once you are gone?
I want to leave the message that we are all powerful, beautiful and gifted, each in our own ways. To remind someone that they are valued and important is a priceless legacy that I am proud of.
What does the honor of being named to the 40 Under 40 most mean to you?
This is an unexpected honor. To me it means that although I haven’t been in me personal best health over the recent years, I am still fulfilling my life’s purpose to help build a home in others. My one real hope in life is to leave this world better than I found it. I feel appreciative and appreciated to receive this award.
