Portland Adventist Academy (PAA) girls’ physical education students joined the efforts of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October by holding Pink Out PE.
Every October, a bouncing crowd of PAA girls, dressed head-to-toe in pink, walk and wave to all who pass them along the busy roads of PAA’s neighborhood. Their leader is the PAA girls' health and PE teacher, Linda Johnson, who has a unique gift for inspiring her students and others to live an active life in creative ways.
“The girls are honked at, waved at and smiled at,” says Johnson, “and the message of health and hope is spread along the I-205 corridor thanks to our girls.”
Johnson is a teacher who lives by example. “I believe it's never too early or late to start living a healthy life,” she says. She and her daughter have a 17-year tradition of participating in Race for the Cure events. Her daughter was 6 years old when they first ran a 5K together. “We are both moved by the sea of pink shirts in the crowd,” she says. “It reminds us to be thankful for each day of life.”
Johnson’s philosophy on health is simple for anyone to adopt. Living an active life can have a great impact not just on people’s health but on their spirituality as well. “Setting personal goals and finding activities that you can enjoy in God's creations brings you closer to your Creator,” she says. “I am blessed to teach, to encourage and to hopefully inspire this message.”
PAA students are inspired. “She makes exercise fun and is so enthusiastic,” says freshman Abby Huntsman. Her classmate, Mariela Smith agrees.
“She actually makes me want to live a healthy life," says Smith. "She pumps us up and cares about us. She’s just awesome.”
PAA PE students (from left) Ashley Kerr, Leigha Boyer, Kaitlynn Knapp, Allison Kim, Darcie Ulvi, Charli Jo Davis and Genevra Lorenson demonstrate the joy of living a healthy life while bringing attention to breast cancer during the annual PAA Pink Out PE event.
Dressed in pink, PAA female physical education students stop along a busy Interstate 205 pedestrian overpass in Portland to wave at drivers and promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
