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To meet Sande Pisik, even over the phone, is to immediately sense the energy and ebullience she has about her personal journey of health and fitness. Ms. Pisik, a NYC Department of Education procurement officer and wellness champion, met one of her fitness goals two weeks ago by completing the Danskin Sandy Hook triathlon in just over two hours. The sprint length triathlon consisted of a ½ mile swim in open water, a 12-mile bike ride, and a 3.1-mile run. Ms. Pisik used this exciting event to raise several thousands of dollars to support the NYC Department of Education’s School Wellness Council grant program, asking friends and loved ones to honor her by contributing to the wellness of New York City’s students.
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Training for the running, swimming, and biking competition is yet another major milestone for Ms. Pisik, who has lost more than 100 pounds in the last four years. She says, “The hardest part of the race experience for me turned out to be before I ran it. It was the fear of the unknown and the nerves associated with that which were the hardest to deal with. But once I got to the race and started to do the work, all was fine. I learned a life lesson—just get on with it and you never know what you can achieve. Don't be afraid to try! A lesson I learned with the weight loss journey as well.”
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Thanks to her inspiring story and generous supporters, the city’s students will gain valuable lessons in living healthy and active lifestyles. The NYC Department of Education promotes student wellness through a number of programs, including funding for schools to develop or strengthen a School Wellness Council (SWC). SWCs help schools create an environment in which the entire community participates in and supports improving nutrition, health, and physical activity.
Launched in 2010, the Department’s Office of School Wellness Programs has awarded SWC grants to 50 schools serving more than 30,000 students. Grant recipients reported that SWCs helped them establish new pipelines of communication for students, teachers and families; empowered staff and students to explore and share their personal interests and talents related to wellness; and provided new collaborations that allowed schools to tap into a variety of resources beyond their grant funding to improve the health and wellness of their school communities. From school gardens to new PE equipment, community fitness classes, walkathons and healthy fundraisers, and student campaigns and surveys on healthy eating, SWCs hosted a range of activities in their schools to raise the health and fitness levels of students and families.
To date, Sande has raised more than $2,500 in donations to benefit the SWC grant program through The Fund for Public Schools, with more donations still coming in. Her commitment to giving back to the community is a powerful example of how all New Yorkers can play an important role in supporting the city’s public schools. In her own words, Sande says “I want NYC school kids and others to have the opportunity to get well and live a healthy lifestyle and decided to dedicate this triathlon in support of the NYC Dept. of Education Office of School Wellness Programs so children, staff, and parents can get the tools to get well and fight childhood and adult obesity.” We thank her for demonstrating the power of personal goals, and how wellness is an undertaking that we can all be proud of.
To learn more about the Office of School Wellness, click here.
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