My WELCOA Moment: A Day I Will Never Forget

Each of us has days in our lives that we’ll remember forever. 

Tuesday, March 31st was one of those days for me.

In February, I found out that I had been named the Top Health Promotion Professional in the U.S. by the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA).

I was overjoyed and shocked when I got the news and am pretty sure I didn’t stop smiling for about a week!

welcoa plaque

Doing the work that I do is rewarding in and of itself because I’m put in a position on an almost daily basis to impact people’s lives for the better and to give them hope that they can be well.

A super cool perk that was packaged with the award was a trip to San Diego to attend WELCOA’s annual summit, which brings together leaders in our field and serves as a source of inspiration, energy, and community each time I come.

On the second day of the summit, I had the privilege and opportunity of delivering an acceptance speech to nearly 400 of my peers, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

welcoa stage

I had spent several weeks working on what I wanted to say, crafting the words based on inspirations that came to me first thing in the morning, on a run, after conversations with my dad, and even in the midst of reflecting on what other speakers shared during the conference.

Our message was essentially the same: Tell your story. Stories are powerful.

As Ryan called me up on stage, I was so present to that moment and just took in everything I could. You know you’re doing what you’re meant to do when you feel so alive and excited you could burst with joy, and that is how I felt in this moment.

I was humbled by the kind words complete strangers, colleagues, and industry leaders shared with me afterwards. Several people commented that I should speak at a future WELCOA conference.

Wouldn’t that be the coolest?! 🙂

I felt so overwhelmed with gratitude for being given this honor and so humbled that what I had to say meant something to and touched so many people.

Some people wait their whole lives to feel how I felt on Tuesday

At the beginning of this year, I declared that I wanted to FEEL five things:

IMG_7369

The experience I had at the WELCOA Summit gave me the opportunity to feel all of them at once.

I felt so alive

I can hardly put into words how incredibly special and meaningful this experience has been for me.

It was a feeling, a moment, and a day that I will never forget, and for that, I am grateful.

Do you want to bring health and wellbeing to your workplace? If you want to learn more about how I can help, including leadership training and interactive health and nutrition workshops, contact me at rachel@silbs.com.

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10 Comments

  1. Summer

    Well deserved! Congrats!!!

    • Thank you, Summer! It was a very exciting day 🙂 Looking forward to coming to Campbell to do more workshops soon! I’ve been working on some fun stuff and yummy recipes 🙂

  2. Cristina

    What an inspiring speech! And for such an amazing accomplishment!! Congrats again, Rachel!!

    • Thank you, Cristina! It was such an exciting moment for me. I look forward to sharing what I learned with you when I get back!

  3. Bob Harnett

    What a great speech Rachel, and a tremendous validation of everything you have been working towards. Congratulations on all your accomplishments. I’m really proud to know you and can’t wait to see what comes next. All the best – Bob

    • Bob, thank you! That means so much. It was so incredibly validating and totally humbling to receive the recognition. I am that much more pumped to continue doing this work and making a difference. I will definitely keep everyone updated through here as my journey continues 🙂

  4. Kayla

    Very cool! Neat post!

    • Thanks, Kayla! It was such a special day and felt really great to be recognized in that way. I’m now enjoying the second half of my trip to San Diego in vacation mode and am loving it here!

  5. Richard Sincere

    Rachel, You continue to have a site that is a must-read and adds value every day. Congratulations on a very well deserved award. Best, Richard

    • Wow, thank you! I really appreciate your kind words. This made me smile and honestly made my day. If there are any topics you’d like me to cover, please let me know 🙂 I like to write about what my readers’ interests!

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