I Am BarnesCare
Matt Meyers, WellAware Coordinator
Matt Meyers is a hard guy to catch up with and that's not surprising. Matt is charged with planning and coordinating wellness programs for the 5,200 employees of the City of St. Louis through the Bee Fit program. The program raises awareness and empowers City employees to make positive, health-enhancing lifestyle choices and engage in practices that will benefit their quality of life. Here's Matt in his own words.
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The Bee Fit program is a partnership between the City of St. Louis and BJC HealthCare (BarnesCare). I am proud to represent BarnesCare each day and help individuals improve their health and well being.
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We recently concluded our second annual Weight Loss Challenge. Over 500 individuals participated in the 10-week contest and there was a total weight loss of more than 2,700 pounds. Awesome!
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I want people who participate in my programs to know that I'm proud of them. Taking the first step to living a healthy lifestyle is difficult, and people are often embarrassed about needing help. In reality, everyone needs a friendly boost now and then.
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The most challenging part of my job is dealing with things that are out of my control. When coordinating events, you just have to trust that all the planning and hard work that went into preparing is going to pay off (and always have a back-up plan).
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My role model is my 5-year old son, Jack. It's amazing how simple everything is to him. He loves without condition, believes without question and doesn't know the words "I can't." It's supposed to be the parent teaching the child but I learn something from him every day.
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Science was always my favorite subject, even in grade school. Specifically, the structure and function of the human body has always fascinated me. I have taken many advanced anatomy, physiology and kinesiology classes just because I wanted to know more.
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My favorite sports team is without a doubt the St. Louis Cardinals. I do, however, have a bit of a fanatical streak for the Ohio State Buckeyes. GO BUCKS!
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My favorite life quote is, "The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." -- Unknown
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One talent I wish I had would be to play the piano or acoustic guitar (really well).
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My first car was a maroon 1978 Plymouth Volare. I was so proud of it and polished the vinyl bench seats to a high gloss. When we would "cruise" Main Street, every corner I turned sent my friends sliding into each other.
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My favorite thing to do when I'm not working is play volleyball. I play in a couple of competitive leagues and look forward to playing each week.
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At some point in my life I would love to travel to Greece and Ireland.
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"I Am BarnesCare" helps our valued clients get acquainted with BarnesCare staff by allowing employees to introduce themselves in their own words. Look for it each month in BarnesCare Connection.
