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This post is produced in collaboration with Yoplait Go Big, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. Yoplait Go Big provided me the product and stipend for this partnership.
Parenting teens is completely different from parenting any other age children. It comes with its own challenges, but it is also one of the most rewarding and fun times to be a parent. We are so proud of all three of our girls, and anytime that we are able to do something special for them, we jump at the opportunity!
Last week we partnered with Yoplait to do something truly remarkable for Ashley in celebration of Yoplait’s new yogurt for teens, Go Big. Go Big is all about recognizing and elevating how amazing teens are, and they gave our family the chance to fuel Ashley’s passion in a way that truly changed her life.
For the past two years, Ashley and Pete have been dedicated to their health. They have been eating well and making exercise a priority with 6am workouts and afternoon training sessions. Ash has long suffered from asthma, most likely from her preterm birth, and when she was younger she missed out on a lot of fun things when she was sick. These past two years since she started making exercise a priority, she has seen a remarkable change in her health. What started as a way to spend more time together as father and daughter and improve her health, has turned into much more for Ashley. She even just signed up for her first big competition!
We knew it was time for Ash to take it up a level and Go Big! So we planned a day that would inspire and guide her as she sets bigger goals for herself.
We woke her up even earlier than normal, surprised her with a new workout outfit, some Yoplait Go Big Strawberry and Mixed Berry Yogurt to eat on the road to help fuel her (we bought Go Big at our local grocery store), and drove a couple hours north for Ash to have a coaching and training session with one of the most amazing female athletes (and people) on the planet, Jamie Hagiya. Jaimie is a very well known Crossfit Athlete who played basketball for USC and professionally in Europe before coming in 18th at the 2016 CrossFit Games! She is also co-owner of Torrance Training Lab where we met up with her for Ashley’s special day.
When I was planning this day for Ashley, she and Pete were gone getting a workout done. On my own, I researched female athletes with very little knowledge of who is who. Jamie was everything I was looking for in a role model for Ashley, and someone she could look up to as she continues her training. As soon as we met Jamie, I knew that I had made the right choice. When I told Pete and Ash about her, they both knew who she was immediately and they were so excited to meet her. Jamie not only is one of the strongest people I have ever met, she is also an amazing person. She is positive, high energy and just radiates strength…just look at her! And I knew she was just the person to help us fuel Ashley’s passion in an amazing way!
I could gush about her for days, but I have so much more to share about our day…
After Ash was fueled up with Go Big for a quick boost of energy, she was ready to begin her training session with Jamie!
Jamie started by talking with Ash about her goals and what she wanted to work on. They went through a warm-up and then it was go time. Jamie coached Ash on a bunch of different moves she has been working on, and then they did a couple workouts together.
Jamie also shared some tips and apps Ash can use at home to improve.
I was exhausted just watching, but Ash never stopped smiling. This really was her dream come true and it took Ash’s passion to a whole new level!
Jamie encouraged, inspired, and had a huge impact on Ash…and all of us really. We left ready and dedicated to helping Ashley pursue her passion of fitness. Ashley was almost speechless as we drove home because she was so filled with ideas on how she is going to take her training up to another level. Ashley was truly inspired after meeting with Jamie because Jamie was so real about the dedication it takes to get to the level she is at. Five hours a day spent working out is not unusual for Jamie, and she pushes herself mentally and physically each and every day. Her guidance was valuable on so many levels and I loved watching Ash soak it all in.
Since we have been back home, Ashley has been working on a new training schedule and is meeting with her home coach more often. She got that extra momentum from this day to take her passion to the next level, it was life changing!
Ash’s big day was fueled by Go Big, a new, large yogurt pouch designed specifically with teens in mind. I love that Yoplait not only wants to shine the spotlight on how amazing teens are no matter what they’re interested in, but that Go Big was developed in partnership with teens. Our family loves that Go Big is made with real fruit and just the right amount of sweetness and that the pouches contain a larger amount of yogurt for a teen’s growing hunger. Even the Go Big pouch was designed for teens and is like nothing you’ve seen before. You just grip & rip! It is very easy to open and enjoy and is great for on-the-go!
Yoplait® Go Big™ Yogurt is available in two different variety packs, each with two different flavors, Strawberry/Mixed Berry and Peach Mango/Cherry and there are 8 pouches in each box. You can purchase Go Big for your teen at your local grocery store like we did and at Walmart or Target.
Ash was especially happy to learn (as was I) that Go Big has no colors from artificial sources, no high-fructose corn syrup, it contains real fruit and is a good source of calcium. It is also gluten-free and Kosher Dairy, if those are concerns for you.
How do you celebrate your awesome teen?
I would use it for some christmas presents for the fam! Love those gobig yogurt pouches! They look so cool! I need to try them!
Definitely Christmas presents. $500 would go a long way!
Those look like some huge yogurt pouches.
I really admire you for being 100% supportive of your kid and her passion what’s interesting more is it’s promoting good health. Thank you for the tips and I myself would check out this gobig yogurt.
This is awesome! I was a very sickly child (ok, still not a very healthy adult) but lately I have been trying to get more exercise and physical activity into my routine. Crossfit is one of the things we’re considering! This is so inspiring. Go big, right?? 🙂
That is so cool! I’m sure she’s super pumped, now. She’s SO strong!
This is so awesome and so great that she has your support. What a wonderful giveaway, I would put that towards Christmas gifts.
Your daughter is so impressive. Every time you feature her in a post, she is getting after it! Such determination!
This is amazing!!! It is so much fun to see our girls grow and develop into their own dreams like this.
That is quite impressive to see her commitment to cross fit training. She definitely deserves this snack.
I definitely teach my kids to aim high and don’t settle. No 8th place awards
That is no small feat congratulate your daughter for me! I can only hope that my son will be as interested in this kind of stuff when you get older as she is.
That is amazing that she is lifting weights like this!!!! I bet my daughter would love this new Yoplait, so amazing to see them do what they love!
Congratulations to your daughter! I love those big sized pouches of yogurt.
Wow! She’s amazing and impressive, doing what your love is your passion.
Wow, now she is impressive. I love that you all are standing behind her and her choices. The first thing I would do if we won is bring my step-daughter to us, to celebrate how much we love her…
this is awesome! I love how involved you are in your teens lives! Its so important. I also love that you guys encourage them to be healthy and they love it! It’s so rare to see relationships like this with parents and their teens now days.
I love how you are supporting your girl whatever dreams she inspires to! O don;t have a teen YET but I would put this money into a her savings plan to build on her dreams!
Oh boy! That’s one mighty girl you have there! I have two teen grandsons and both play musical instruments. I think we’d hit Guitar Store to feed their creativity through their guitars and violin! And then of course… we’d feast upon Yoplai!
Omg how awesome is this?!?! Good for your daughter for finding something she’s passionate about!!
How amazing for your teen to already have such a strong passion in something! You must be so proud! She seems so talented and dedicated.
Wow! What a wonderful experienced for your child! I’m sure she is very happy to have supportive parents!
Wow, she is awesome! I love that you are encouraging her to be strong and to pursue her passions. My son will be 13 next month and I would use the $500 if I won to get him guitar lessons because he has a guitar and has been trying to teach himself.
How great!! I can’t even do that.
It’s awesome that your daughter is working so hard on her goals! Good nutrition will be so important and the Go Big yogurt pouches rock!
What an amazing accomplishment! And I’m not a teen, but I’d totally eat those! Ha!
I do not have a teen yet but my son would be celebrated by getting him some new football gear. He really wants to play professionally when he grows up.
She is definitely striving for everything that she wants. My boys are always pushed to go for their dreams!
What a strong talent! She definitely impressed me just by the photos. I could not imagine being there and witnessing her successes in real life.
Her dedication is impressive! And way to go for supporting her!
What a tremendous experience for your daughter. That was amazing. It’s great that it has inspired her to keep going and go even further.
I think it is wonderful that you are empowering your teen to be the best she can be. I always try to empower my tween to be the best she can be.
Good for her and staying strong. I think it would be a great way to enjoy a nice dinner out.
Wow look at your daughter!!!! That is really inspiring!!!
We love the new Go Big! What a fantastic day for your family!
If I won, I would use it to encourage my daughter to get back involved in swimming. She loves doing it but financially we haven’t been able to have her do it.I would use this to cover it.
This is so awesome and so great that she has your support. I always try to empower my son to follow his dreams!
I think that is wonderful that your daughter was able to meet with Jamie and have a one on one work out with her. I love the idea of those Yopait Go Big yogurts, I will be looking for them at my next trip to the grocery store.
What an amazing experience! Crossfit athletes amaze me.
This is an absolutely amazing gift to your daughter! I love that she has taken such initiative at such a young age and starts each day with the best fuel. Just fabulous all around!
That is fantastic that the last two years have helped improve her health. I love that Ashley and your husband started working out to spend more time together.
I love this campaign and I love how your teenager has her priorities on her health rather than on trivial stuff. It’s awesome how she even does it with her dad. It’s gonna become a habit that she’ll take with her when she becomes an adult. I’ll definitely check out and try Yopait’s GoBig yogurt next time.
I’m saving up for a new DSLR to improve my blog’s photography.
Uh, yummy!! Those look good
Good for her! What a great giveaway – would give it to my niece who is going off to college in the fall.
Rock on! Good for her. I hope to be able to inspire my kids when they are teens the way you do!
What a cool day! Your daughter will always remember that!
Go big is perfect for teens! She is doing a great job!
What an amazing experience! Looks like she has an amazing support system at home, keep up the great job!
I would use the money to visit the Naval academy with my teen. He wants to go to school there.
She’s really amazing! I’m glad she can do what her love. This is a great way to encourage other teens to do or to pursue their passion.