My daughter Jordan has always been a special girl. She is academically and socially gifted, compassionate, kind and loyal. She is beautiful and blonde and has the best, biggest, straightest teeth I have ever seen. She is the kind of girl any mother would dream of having.

Jordan has struggled with her weight her whole life. I know this has always been a source of great sadness in Jordan’s life, but we never dwelled on it too much figuring everything would slim out around puberty. When Jordan was around eleven her baby sister Sam was diagnosed with a rare, life threatening disease. My Husband, Sam and I traveled all over the country searching for experts and treatments for her illness. This meant leaving Jordan and her middle sister Casey under the care of various friends and family. During this very stressful year Jordan gained a great deal of weight. Jordan stayed her happy, positive, joyful self for the most part (though she has always been a bit shy) but I knew she was very unhappy about her appearance. I knew that SHE knew that she didn’t look like all the other girls.

At the end of Jordan’s Seventh grade year, I found CCF. Shawna and I were talking on the phone about the fabulous program she was directing, Camp California Fitness. I expressed how I thought Jordan would really benefit from that kind of camp. When I brought CCF up to Jordan she literally JUMPED at the opportunity. No questions asked. She wanted to go. Now it was my turn to be hesitant. Jordan had never really been away from home and now she was leaving for EIGHT weeks.

The first day of camp was rough. Jordan was scared and very shy. Gina and Shawna talked to her and helped her take it one day at a time. And one day at a time she did! By the end of the first week I was getting e-mails that said “Sorry I haven’t written, I’m so busy… this is soooooo fun!” As the weeks went on I got e-mails and letters that told me that she missed me… but not enough to come home.

The change in my daughter has been dramatic. Her self-esteem has SOARED…. And not just because she lost weight; she met friends who will last a lifetime and literally had the best summer of her life. Camp California Fitness changed my daughter’s life. She went from sad, shy, overweight little girl to a vivacious, bubbly, exciting young woman. When her Dad and I went to pick her up at camp on August 14th… a slim, tanned, blonde girl rushed out to hug me. My first thought was “this girl is wearing Jordan’s skirt”. Surprise!! It WAS Jordan.

We have stayed on the program and Jordan has maintained her weight loss and new eating habits. The very last thing Jordan would think to do is sit down in front of the TV and eat. It is such a foreign concept to her now. She loves to shop, shop, shop and needed and entire new wardrobe for eighth grade. She is in the Challenge program for gifted students at school and plays soccer on a girl’s soccer team for the first time ever. I couldn’t have been happier for her. I get more excited for her everyday.

Jordan is already planning on going back to camp next summer, and the summer after and so on and so on….. She can’t wait. And we are happy to send her back. We can’t thank Shawna and the CCF team enough. YOU did it. You changed a little girl’s life. You made her feel worthy and smart and beautiful. Thank you so much.

Graciously,
Jackie

Jackie ~ Jordan's Mom