Since May 1st, hundreds of activists have been running, jumping, dancing, swimming, biking and working out — all in the name of supporting Love146 for this year’s Tread on Trafficking.
As we do every year, three treaders who have been supremely AWESOME have been nominated for the Tread on Trafficking AWESOME Award. The treader with the most votes will receive two tickets to Love146’s 10-year anniversary event (as well as any and all related glories that come with being named THE MOST AWESOME TREADER OF 2012).
We’re taking the next few days to let the nominees for this year’s Tread on Trafficking AWESOME Award tell their stories of who they are, what they’re doing for Tread on Trafficking and why they’re so passionate about ending child trafficking
Here’s Kristen Baker from Lafayette, Colorado:
My name is Kristen and I am a kindergarten teacher in Colorado. A couple of years ago, my husband and I took a trip around the world. Before going, my Mom made me watch the movie Taken. After watching. I called her in an outrage and said I would hunt down traffickers and beat them up.
That was not, however, the point she wanted me to get from the movie. She wanted me to stay away from people like that and be careful. While I didn’t hunt down human traffickers, I did find organizations that fought against them and have been supporting them ever since.
I love to have fitness goals and do new and interesting things, so when I heard about Tread on Trafficking I knew it was for me. I struggled with what my goals were going to be though!
First, I set a goal of increasing my push-ups every day by one. It was a goal that I just sort of walked into. My husband was trying to inspire his friend to get in shape and after 20 the friend was complaining that it was hard. I jokingly responded that even I could do that. Well, after my challenge, I was in and had to start doing push-ups to then beat him in a competition. I am up to 50 without stopping!
I also set a goal of wakeboarding everyday, which was natural for me since it is what I love to do all summer anyway. The water in Colorado is far too cold though so I am off to Louisiana as we speak to board in the warm alligator-infested water! I also love to “perform” so I am currently trying to think of a costume for a tournament I will be in to help promote Love146.
Lastly, I’m competing in as many 5k and 10k runs as I can which isn’t an easy goal for me. I do not like to run. But when I told my dad my goals, he laughed and said, “Wakeboarding all summer? That ought to be easy for you!” I know he was joking but I thought that I probably needed to push myself some so I decided to go with the family sport of running. While I am not sure I can say I’m loving the running, I am loving the chance to get out with other people and talk about what I’m doing. One race I did had 50,000 people!
My experience has been awesome! People have been so receptive to hearing about what I am doing and really want to help. I have only come across two people who have said that they “rather not think about thinks like that.” I have decided just to them lead by example and show people that it is good to be passionate about something that helps to save the world.
Should Kristen win this year’s AWESOME Award? Cast your vote at www.love146.org/awesomevote
