EMS professionals are challenged to balance work, family, and other obligations while also staying or striving for mental and physical fitness. The Everyday EMS Athlete is a regular column to recognize and learn from other EMS professionals that are setting and meeting fitness goals. This edition was contributed by paramedic and Ironman Emily Stewart. 

Emily at the finish of the Wisconsin Ironman

Q: What is your EMS job? 

I’m a full time paramedic at Goldcross Ambulance in Appleton, Wisconsin working a California 24 hour rotation. I work part-time in Amherst, Wisconsin as a paramedic picking up random 12-24 hour shifts when I’m available.

Q: What are your athletic pursuits and goals?

My main objective is to maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep up with the every day demands of EMS. I like to challenge myself with different goals that a few years ago would have been in imaginable. I like longer distances to race as a new challenge to beat a time and to accomplish something new.  My new goal is a 50 mile ultra marathon next year.

Q: Do you have a race, lifestyle changes, or other accomplishments you are particularly proud of?

My most recent accomplishment was Ironman Wisconsin.

An Ironman was a goal that I never thought I would have been able to complete.  I use to be a smoker and after several attempts to quit I replaced that habit with food! After I gained so much weight that I weighed the same amount as I did when I gave birth to my son I knew something had to give!! I changed my eating habits. After working in EMS you see the affects on people who live an unhealthy life style and I knew that I didn’t want to end up like that.

I had to be a good example for my son and be there to play ball and sports with him.  I changed my eating habits and started running (jogging and walking at first!) my first 5 mile race was the Frost Bite run in Stevens point.  I was the last “runner” to finish before the walkers! But I knew then that it was a great way to push myself and achieve different goals in my life.

I went on from there to running a half-marathon and then tackled a few marathons.  I ran the first one with my dad, sister and a cousin in Chicago in 2008.  It was great to keep up through all the training and keep in contact with them during training.  Even after a calf tear and fininshing almost 2 hours after my goal I wasn’t discouraged I knew I could do better.

I ran a few more marathons with better times every race. A few years later a co-worker asked me to do a triathlon with her in 3 weeks. I though, “I bike and run, and used to swim in high school how hard could it be?” So I hit the pool and learned really quick that you lose a lot of swimming endurance in 10 years!! But I swam for 3 weeks and did the triathlon. I came in 5th in my age group and I was hooked!!

My dreams of an Ironman had formed! First, I did a half Ironman that didn’t go as good with the 30 mile an hour winds that day, but I finished and volunteered for Ironman Wisconsin to sign-up for 2011. The  year of adventure and training started! I am an Ironman with a finish time of 15:12:33.

Q: Can you share a few tips to help other EMS professionals to set and accomplish fitness goals? 

Emily crossing the finish line of a triathalon with her son

Pick a goal and stick with it. Whether it;s a race or a weight loss, have a plan and stick to it. Plan ahead around your paramedic schedule.  It’s really hard working 24 hour shifts and maintaining a regular exercise routine, but don’t use that as an excuse. Plan a head and double up one day knowing that you won’t be able to get a work out in the next at work. I tried really hard not to let a bad night at work ruin a work out in the morning. I tried to use a bad shift or call to fuel a good hard run the next day. Running is always a great way to get rid of the stress for the shift.

Plan a head with food. I hate hearing medics say “but all we have time for is fast food” no you don’t!! I can run through a salad bar line at the grocery store just as fast as you can order Mc Donalds!! And if you absoulutley “Have” to go there, they do have somewhat healthier choices. Skip the fries and soda. I try to put fresh fruit or a granola bar in the truck every morning for when we don’t make it back to the station for a while.

I also often pack my running stuff and take it with me to work, that way ther is no excuse not to go first thing when I leave work. Other times  I drive to work (about an hour drive) and go for a run before work so I could still get my run in. It also helps to have a person at work who is on your same shift to schedule work outs with before and after work.

Emily is an IRONMAN!

Q: Do you have any final thoughts to add and how can readers connect with you?

Next year, my main goal is to complete a 50 mile ultra marathon. I am waiting to hear back from Team KCA (Kidney Cancer Association) to join the team. My goal is to run the 50 mile race.  haven’t decided on which one yet. I’m waiting to see if my sister will be joining me on this adventure!!

My Dad was diagnosed last week with stage 3 renal cancer. I came across the KCA team and really want to join and run for a cause next year, and try to raise money for them. The organization helps fund research, as well as help people who can’t afford it with medications and treatment. They found my Dad’s cancer by accident before he had any S/S or metastasis with it, so his prognosis looks really good right now, following a major surgery next month in Madison. (the tumor has already reached his vena cave) But at first we were being told that there was a 75-85% mortalitly rate with kidney cancer since it is so rare and normally caught to late. I would really like to get the awareness out about that since it hit way too close to home this year.

Read related posts and tips:

1. Everyday EMS Athlete Profile: Conan Kelly EMS professionals are challenged to balance work, family, and other...
2. Everyday EMS Athlete Profile: Matt Bassett EMS professionals are challenged to balance work, family, and other...
3. Everyday EMS Athlete Profile: Buck Feris As many of us know, putting your health and fitness...

Throughout the month of September EMS, Fire, and Police bloggers have been Kilted to Kick Cancer with the purpose to raise awareness of Prostate and Testicular Cancer. Starting at EMS World Expo EMS Bloggers and personalities the Happy Medic, Ambulance Driver, and many others have been kilted and encouraging their readers to be Kilted to Kick Cancer and donate funds.

Find more information at the official Kilted to Kick Cancer website as well as the Ambulance Drivers Files Kilted to Kick Cancer page.

You Can Participate

You can participate in Kilted to Kick Cancer by wearing a kilt, talking about the risks of prostate and testicular cancer and the importance of screening, and donating to research to find the cause of and cure for cancer.

Me in a Kilt???

I don’t own a kilt. Honestly it sounds a lot like dressing up and wearing a coat and tie. I am lucky that my with job and home office I can wear sweatpants 300 days a year.

I told my wife about Kilted to Kick Cancer and suggested that as an EMS blogger I might get involved.

“How?” she asked. Already with a strong sense of trepidation in her voice.

“Well some of the other guys are having fund raising contests.” I replied.

“What is the contest,” she asked.

“If they raise a certain amount of money they will do something.”

“And what would you do?”

Long pause…

“Well instead of wearing a kilt maybe I could run the October 1 Nekoosa Ambulance Run the Pumpkin 5K in a Skort,” I offered.

Note: a skort is a combination short/skirt most often worn by female runners.

“Ummm … no,” was her quick reply.

Of course her quick dismissal of my ideas has a) increased my interest in executing said idea and b) emboldened me to ask you, dear readers, how much should I set as the challenge. If I can raise $$$ for Kilted to Kick Cancer I will run the 5k in a skort.

Read related posts and tips:

1. Press Release: Kilted to Kick Cancer INDUSTRY BLOGGERS, companies KILT UP TO KICK prostate CANCER Magnum...
2. Kiowa County EMS Leads Community Effort to Support Breast Cancer Research Foundation This is a guest post by paramedic and service director...
3. Cancer, F#&* You! Pardon my language. In the last two weeks my world...

INDUSTRY BLOGGERS, companies KILT UP TO KICK prostate CANCER

Magnum Boots USA and Alt.Kilt have partnered up with Bloggers Motorcop and The Happy Medic to raise awareness for male-specific cancer during September, Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The goal of the campaign, better known as Kilted to Kick Cancer, is to encourage men to take control of their health and get screened for cancer.

For the entire month of September, the Happy Medic (Justin Schorr) and Motorcop (Anonymous) will be wearing kilts everywhere they go when off-duty. With the help of Magnum Boots USA and Alt.Kilt, Motorcop and the Happy Medic are taking the topic by storm through the likes of social media, particularly Twitter and Facebook. Since both are first responders by trade, it only made sense to kick off the campaign at EMS World Expo in Las Vegas at the end of August.

“When a man walks into a room wearing a kilt, everyone has the same question… what’s he got on under there?” said Motorcop, a law enforcement officer who blogs anonymously at motorcopblog.com. “Our aim for September is to bring as much awareness to male-specific risk factors for prostate and testicular cancer as we can. What better way to get the attention of others than through kilts?”

According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America, affecting 1 in 6 men. The older a man is, the more likely he will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. A man with a father or brother who developed prostate cancer is twice as likely to develop the disease.

“For men in the U.S., the risk of developing prostate cancer is 17%,” said Justin Schorr, known to most online as the blogger behind TheHappyMedic.com. “Motorcop and I, along with Magnum and Alt.Kilt, want to do our part to help reduce any stigma and fears behind this disease – and more importantly, the screening process. If that means dressing up in our Magnum duty boots and a kilt for the entire month of September to get people talking, then we’re all for it.”

Other risk factors for aggressive prostate cancer include tall height, lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle, high calcium intake, African-American race and family history. For more info on Prostate Cancer, visit www.pcf.org.

“Our goal is to talk to as many men as we can and get them to get their butt – pun intended – to the doctor,” said Schorr, who encourages others to don their kilts this September and post photos online on the Kilted to Kick Cancer Facebook page, or on Twitter using the hashtag #KiltedtoKickCancer. “If you’ve got a Y-chromosome, and you’re 40 years or older, get yourself to a doctor and get an exam. It could save your life.”

About KILTED TO KICK CANCER

In light of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month this September, two bloggers, Motorcop (Anonymous) and The Happy Medic (Justin Schorr), are kilting up to kick cancer. For the entire month of September, the two bloggers will be wearing kilts from Alt.Kilt (whenever off duty) to raise awareness of deadly, male-specific cancers often overlooked by the public. The goal? Encourage men to take control of their health and get checked for cancer. For more details on this cause, visit www.kiltedtokickcancer.org. To learn more about the risks and symptoms of prostate cancer, please visit www.pcf.org.

About Magnum

Since 1982, Magnum has been providing high-performance tactical and service product with credibility second to none. It is the mission of Magnum to be the best in class by delivering unsurpassed product designed for its end user. Distributed in over 100 countries, Magnum attacks the marketplace with unmatched comfort, technology and value in uniform footwear and apparel used by law enforcement, military, fire/rescue, emergency medical, and service agencies around the world. For more information, visit us online: www.magnumboots.com.

ABOUT ALT.KILT

Since its conception in early 2006, Alt.Kilt has made a point of being personal. Our purpose is to provide functional, stylish and well-made kilts that are individually designed and custom built for each client. Each kilt we sell is made one at a time, from the pre-washing of the fabric to hand sewing the buttons. From our humble beginnings in Madison, WI, we have spent time and effort to create a handsome product that fulfills the needs and wants of our worldwide customer base. For more information, please visit us at http://www.altkilt.com.

Read related posts and tips:

1. Kilted to Kick Cancer Throughout the month of September EMS, Fire, and Police bloggers...
2. Cancer, F#&* You! Pardon my language. In the last two weeks my world...
3. Press Release: smart-ICE 1.6.4 The First App to Talk for the Patient The “FIRST”...

Pardon my language.

In the last two weeks my world has been rocked by news of friends and family suffering from the impacts of cancer.

• A friend and colleague’s wife died after a heroic and prolonged battle with cancer.
• Another colleague received a new diagnosis and is awaiting more testing.
• An aunt was just diagnosed and is scheduled for testing.
• An uncle is undergoing tests to see if his cancer is worsening.
• A professional colleague is preparing for another round of treatment because his cancer has returned.

All of you are in my thoughts and I am standing by you to support, encourage, and battle against this awful disease.

Meanwhile, I thought these words of encouragement from my mom, for both the patient and the supporters, were wise and helpful.

1. Stand Tall. Shoulders back, head up, and tits out!

2. No News is No News.

Read related posts and tips:

1. Kilted to Kick Cancer Throughout the month of September EMS, Fire, and Police bloggers...
2. Press Release: Kilted to Kick Cancer INDUSTRY BLOGGERS, companies KILT UP TO KICK prostate CANCER Magnum...
3. Kiowa County EMS Leads Community Effort to Support Breast Cancer Research Foundation This is a guest post by paramedic and service director...

Bloggers Epi Junky and the Happy Medic are leading an EMS for the Cure effort during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

EMS for the Cure – Challenge from Thaddeus Setla on Vimeo.

After you finish supporting EMS for the Cure take a few minutes to check out these top posts from September at EverydayEMSTips.com that you might have missed. As always I welcome and appreciate you sharing post links through Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks.

1. Medical Math Made Easy

2. Emergency Response Guide Apps

3. 3 EMS Sounds I like to Hear and 3 I Don’t

4. Paramedic that Knows Everything Declines Additional Knowledge

5. 7 EMS iPhone Apps

And a top post from September 2009 – Interview with Joseph Clark about his book, My Ambulance Education.

Read related posts and tips:

1. App Information: ERG Pro This post was contributed by Ray Coleman of Creative Custom...
2. Priority Posts from Outside the Service Area I overheard some priority traffic from other EMS bloggers, publications,...
3. October 2010 Top Posts at Everyday EMS Tips October was a busy month for me and a busy...

This is a guest post by paramedic and service director Chad Pore. If you want to guest post or review on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

October is breast cancer awareness month. We believe that EMS is an integral part of our community and feel it is important that we work to show we can do more than just simply respond to calls. Therefore, we have decided to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). Many of us have either been impacted by someone with breast cancer or know someone else who has been impacted. During the month of October we are planning the following events to raise money for BCRF:

1. Pink Out The Stands: Throughout the month of October we will be selling T-shirts with our school logo (Maverick) which is a bull. The shirts will be pink and the logo black. The eye of the bull will be a pink ribbon. 100% of the profits from the shirts will go to BCRF. The shirts cost $4.50 and will be sold for $10 so that $5.50/shirt. On October 28th is the actual Pink Out The Stands Event. Our high school team plays that night (against St. John) and we are hoping to have everyone wearing a pink shirt. We are also going to have big pink ribbons painted on the football field.

2. Pink Lemonade Stand: We plan to set up a pink lemonade stand at the Pink Out The Stands Event with 100% of the profits going to BCRF. We are also discussing the possibility of setting it up at other high school events throughout the month.

3. Walk A Mile For Breast Cancer Research: Once the game is over on the 28th we are asking people to walk a mile for Breast Cancer Research. In order to get on the track they have to make a donation. It could be $0.10 or even $100. We do not care how much, just something. 100% of all donations will go to BCRF. We will also have a band playing while people are walking.

4. Cake: Once they have completed their mile walk they get a piece of pink or white cake to eat. This is provided to them free of charge.

5. Invisible Bracelet Purchase: We have recently implemented the invisible bracelet program in Kiowa County. You can find out more at www.invisiblebracelet.com as it a great program that benefits emergency responders in obtaining necessary health information. Their materials are pink in color so we approached them about letting us sell the memberships throughout October for the $10 price, but letting us keep $5 from each one to donate to the BCRF

Also, our EMS crews have chosen to purchase some pink t-shirts with the EMS logo on them to wear throughout the month of October while on-duty to show support for breast cancer research.

We are asking for your help in one of two ways:

1. Set up a similar event during the month of October. There is still plenty of time to set-up a similar event and we would be more than glad to help with the planning by getting in contact with our resources from BCRF, t-shirts, Invisible Bracelet, etc…. This is a great way to get involved in the community and show them we are more than just responders.

2. Contribute to our donation to BCRF by visiting our Time For Research website at https://support.bcrfcure.org/civicrm/contribute/pcp/info?reset=1&id=168 and making a donation.

Feel free to contact Chad with questions. Thanks for all you do!

Chad Pore – BA, MICT, IC
Director, Kiowa County EMS

Read related posts and tips:

1. Kilted to Kick Cancer Throughout the month of September EMS, Fire, and Police bloggers...
2. Cancer, F#&* You! Pardon my language. In the last two weeks my world...
3. Press Release: Kilted to Kick Cancer INDUSTRY BLOGGERS, companies KILT UP TO KICK prostate CANCER Magnum...

I had lots of ideas for a blog post to write for today until I read Thomas’ Story at LiveStrongBlog.com.

Thomas, a ninth grader, wrote an outstanding post about his experience as a childhood cancer survivor. Check it out.

Read related posts and tips:

1. May is National Stroke Awareness Month May is National Stroke Awareness Month. As a paramedic, stroke...
2. Favorites: Best Blog Post Titles of the Week The Song that Never Ends is a post by the...
3. Kilted to Kick Cancer Throughout the month of September EMS, Fire, and Police bloggers...