A MOM ON A MISSION
- Marie, @marieallenfit
Marie is a mom on a mission to create an exercise/play space for her 3 children. As an active workout coach, she was thrilled when Project Playroom offered her products for a corner in her basement. She hired a licensed contractors, and her children watch the make-over unfold. They couldn't wait to start climbing!
The transformation of a basement corner
STEP 1: Ceiling and walls of wood
STEP 2: Installing monkey bars
STEP 3: Rock wall holds
Q: How might this space help your relationship with your children?
A: Before we had our Project Playroom installed, they were too addicted to their iPads and Nintendo Switch which was so frustrating for me to watch, especially as a fitness coach! They now opt to play in their new playroom together rather than spending solo time on screens which makes everyone, especially Mom, happy!
Q: How has the space contributed to your health and recovery?
A: Personally, I use the mats for my weekly mat workouts. Such a great, cushioned place to slowly get back to my workout routine. What amazes me is the versatility of the space: I just unhook the hanging equipment and I have my own LARGE gym mat to stretch and do workouts on. Much better than a yoga mat where my movements are confined.
Q: What were your goals in creating this space for your children?
A: To encourage more active play in an age of sedentary activities like watching tv, playing on iPads or video games. As a fitness coach and fit mama, my hope is to instill my passion for fitness and exercise in my children at a young age through play. I also wanted to encourage them to play together more, and I can definitely see that happening more and more with our Project Playroom.
A very personal message from Marie:
I was diagnosed with breast cancer a month or so before the installation of our project playroom. My mom and her two sisters had breast cancer so there is a strong history in my family. Knowing my strong history, I opted for a double mastectomy to remove all my breast tissue.
We decided to install our project playroom prior to my diagnosis. However, it was the best decision we could have made to keep our children’s spirits up while they awaited Mommy’s surgery. It served as an amazing distraction for the whole family and timing couldn’t have been better with the project playroom being completed the day before my surgery!
It was so exciting and rewarding for both me and my husband to reveal their new playroom to our kids and seeing them so happy in such a tough time for everyone. In the weeks of recovery that followed my surgery, my mobility was extremely limited and I was unable to play with my kids. I’m so grateful that through this time they have had such a fun space where they could just be kids and have fun together.
