Marie Dahlstrom, Executive Director of Familias en Accion, helps promote health and well being for Latino families in Portland and Southwest Washington. But, Marie doesn’t just work to help other Latinos live healthier and happier lives, she embraces vitality with the way she lives her own life. How does she do that? On two feet.
Marie started walking 25 years ago to lose weight, and she hasn’t stopped since. She walks every day, about four miles a day. She walks for as many trips as she can, including exercise, errands and work.
It helps that Marie and her husband David, who are empty nesters after raising two daughters, downsized and moved into a condo in Portland's Pearl District six years ago. Grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants were all at their doorstep.
With the move to the Pearl came a conscious choice. Marie would get around under her own power whenever possible which was a decision she supported by getting rid of her car.
While Marie does much of her work for Familias en Accion from home, she walks to meetings in downtown and central Portland. When she does go into the office, she puts her feet on the pedals and bikes to Northeast Portland. She rides her bike to other destinations, too, like the dentist, when the trip is too far to walk.
Marie says you’ll find her out in any type of weather, because it isn’t the rain that’s inconvenient – it’s sitting in a car in traffic. Stuck in rush hour, circling and circling to find parking and dealing with the other hassles of driving, according to Marie is something she just cannot tolerate it anymore. So she bikes and walks to get around.
Describing Marie as just a proponent of active transportation doesn’t do justice to her commitment. On days when she can’t get out and move under her own power much, she feels disappointed. The day isn’t as happy. Why? Because she feels she didn’t live up to her commitment to herself and her health.
Marie’s husband David was diagnosed with diabetes seven years ago. That increased the importance of walking for Marie and David. The steps helped! Thanks to the exercise, along with healthy eating, his doctor no longer considers David diabetic.
It's not just her family’s health Marie thinks about when she steps out the door – it’s the planet’s health too. Marie says you may not feel like you can shape policy decisions when it comes to climate control and pollution, but, she says, "you can make an impact with the lifestyle choices you make every day." She believes a day you walk is one less day you contribute damaging carbon emissions to our air.
After meeting Marie, you can't help but be inspired. Many people tell her, "I think of you and I think I should walk more."
Marie likes to hear that. "It feels good to influence others to live healthy," she said.
Interested in being like Marie? Just put one foot in front of the other.