Telomeres

One of my former teammates, Dani Ikoma, now works for a company conducting a study centered on telomere length, which is related to your health.  Apparently the longer these telomeres are (they are part of your chromosomes) the healthier you are.  In order to participate in the study there are certain criteria you have to meet and this morning I went in to get my blood drawn, give a saliva sample (it's really hard to spit on command), get my blood pressure taken (my HR is still really low, hmm), height, weight, etc.  How they will be utilizing all this data I'm not too sure, but I do know that I have to go in twice more in the next year for follw-up parts of the study.  I had to get up really early because I needed to get it all done before I went in to work around 9, but it was worth it because I was paid $50 for my participation.  It's weird because at work I watch surgeries all day and it's fine but getting my own blood drawn makes me a bit squemish.  My elbow also continues to be a problem because they like to take blood pressure and the blood sample from the left arm but with my nerve issues that just wasn't possible.  Way to be the difficult candidate in the room...

Last night was fun because I was asked to join in on celebrating SWG 2012 at their annual banquet at Jimmy V's.  Not only do I miss the food there (training table!!) but the company of the coaches and the girls is always heart-warming.  Allan came and brought Remi, so I was kind of on baby-sitter patrol, but I didn't mind.  All the girls thought she was just the cutest thing and she was sure eating it up.  The girls were presented with their awards and I was given a couple of things as well.  The seniors handed out gifts for the coaches and I just can't get over how grown-up they are; so well-spoken and their passion for SWG is evident with everything they do.  Dani put together a great highlight video and it was fun to watch, if not just a little bit painful.  She used one of the songs in my freshman year highlight reel and it took me right back to when I was on the team and filled me with too many fond memories to count.  T, CJ, and I talked about the festivities after getting home and it made us a bit nostalgic, but also served as a reminder of how lucky we were to be a part of something so special.  The holes in our hearts are quickly filled when we look at the seniors of this team and see that they have become beautiful young women who truly understand what SWG is all about.  It's one of the most fulfilling parts of the journey, seeing the young ones take charge after you're gone while giving back to the ones looking up to them.  It was also really nice to see Kristen and Swiz, though a sad because it reminded me that I don't get the opportunity to do that every day.  It's something I took advantage of when I was on the team and I just wish there were more hours in the day so I could see them on a more regular basis.  The lessons and love they instilled in me are with me in everything I do on a daily basis and I owe so much to them.  I'm already excited for SWG 2013...is it season again yet??