Georgina Barr started her podiatry career in response to the Christchurch earthquakes after working in the arts sector.

Georgina works full time at SportsMed in Christchurch. She also runs her own business, Barrina Ltd, where she provides a custom pointe shoe fitting service, lectures on anatomy and biomechanical physiology and engages in dance mentoring.

Georgina created the Podiatrist for Dancers Facebook page to allow open connections between dancers and the sharing of knowledge on managing dance injuries.

She also created pre-pointe and dance assessments for ballet dancers wanting to progress to pointe work, and works with the Juon Pointe System.

Georgina is an affiliated committee member of the Christchurch Ballet Society, a Friend of the Royal Academy of Dance, a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science, and she has training in the Juon Pointe Shoe Fitting System.

In 2019 Georgina will be starting a Masters degree at Lincoln University in Applied Science with a focus on dance medicine.

My passion for health came while I was in college based on my own health journey. I didn’t have a healthy relationship with food and didn’t like eating my veggies growing up. I was always trying to “diet” at a young age. Being overweight growing up provided its challenges back in the 80’s when it wasn’t the norm. My mother put me on diet before I transferred to a new high school so I wouldn’t be casted out. During high school I learned to love being fit and participated in extracurricular activities because I loved how it made me feel. Till this day exercise is for my mental and emotional health and wellbeing.  

After gaining the Freshman 10, I began to exercise and eat better (what was “better” in the 1990’s..aka fat free fad) and lost 23 pounds that second semester. My love for fitness grew and my major changed from nutrition to exercise science. During my first job after college I began suffering from migraines. I chalked it up as being a monthly thing. Then they began more frequently where I was getting them weekly. 

The stress of my first job caused a domino effect of my health from constipation, mild depression, fatigue, acid reflux and I was only in my late 20’s. I was put on meds for my reflux and migraines.  I had an adverse reaction to the migraine medicine that snapped me into wanting more for myself. I knew back then that it was not normal to feel tired and old before I was 30. After I turned 29 and my husband and I began to talk about starting a family, I knew I had to get myself healthy and well. A dietician suggested I see her naturopathic doctor for food sensitivities. I January of 2006, I was told I had to eliminate gluten, soy and dairy and decrease my intense exercise regimen. So I did, cold turkey. Within weeks my migraines and reflux were gone. I began to feel more energy and had my ah-ha moment. Food really is our medicine if we just listen to our bodies. That began my journey towards digestive wellness.

I don’t beat my body up anymore when it comes to exercise and ran my last marathon in 2003. Too much of anything has its price and not being smart about our fitness is not good either. I listen to my body, I take breaks, but for me, exercise improves my mood and my natural medicine of choice. We all have to find what works for us physically and have to make that time to be fit so we can have a better quality of life as we age.

During this time I’ve grown more into my faith and love to learn more about His word. In fact, I’ve been baptized three different times. I found what is working in my life and integrating it into my family. I’ve studied the Bible for health answers and amazed how He has provided it all in His great book. From parenting, to marriage, He talks about how to live healthy and honor our physical bodies well. It honors Him when we care for ourselves too.

R  I  C  K

L  A  M  B  E  R  T

GUITARIST,SINGER,SONGWRITER FOR

 AUSTIN TEXAS ROCK SENSATION'S

'E M P T Y   T R A I L'

Austin, Texas has spawned a variety of world-renowned bands over the years that covered a wide variety of styles - Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, the Sword, Scratch Acid, Dangerous Toys- and a band that one day may very well be mentioned in the same breath is the fast-rising/hard rocking Empty Trail. Comprised of members Rick Lambert (vocals/guitar), Shane Wallin (bass), and Rom Gov (drums), the band was started elsewhere. “The band essentially formed here in Austin,” recalls Lambert. “However, it has been a personal project of mine since the spring of 2013 while I was living in Los Angeles. I thought it would be better to start a band in Austin because of the highly saturated market in Los Angeles. I went through a couple of members, but eventually found the full live band in the summer of 2016. I decided to keep it as a 3-piece. It seemed a bit less expected.”

Empty Trail’s most recent single, “My World,” Lambert and company have already solidified their sound.  Lambert states … “I think Empty Trail’s sound takes bits and pieces of the most iconic hard rock/metal bands while maintaining authenticity. I’ve always wanted things to be relatable and believable. I don’t really want to be limited to a box. I’m sure every artist says this, but it’s true! I think the music fits the mold of catchy and even pop-y at times, which seems to be what’s going around, but it comes from a real place. I’m in music because this keeps me going. I have something I need to say, something that I need to let out, because if I bottle it up it is destructive. Yes, it’s rock, and it’s exciting and I want everyone to have a great time, but if you are listening, I hope it makes you feel understood. Somewhere where you can be free and not judged for who you are.”

Download the new single by Empty Trail entitled 'My World' at https://emptytrail.lnk.to/z925TID

For more information about Rick Lambert and Empty Trail

Visit … 

https://www.emptytrail.com/

Samuel has over 25 years experience in museum and historical society institutions. He has served as manuscript curator for some of the most important historical resources in African American history. An award winning curator, writer, editor, lecturer, and researcher Samuel has numerous publications in peer review journals, encyclopedias, books, magazines, newspapers, and has written or edited three books, "Soul Soldiers: African Americans and the Vietnam Era (editor);" "Through the Lens of Allen E. Cole: A Photographic History of African Americans in Cleveland, Ohio (co-author)," and "The Civil War in Pennsylvania: The African American Experience (editor)". 



Samuel serves as the Immediate Past President of the Association of African American Museums and has been a member since 1992. He has also served on the executive council of Association for the Study of African American Life & History (ASALH); and former vice president of the Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Branch of ASALH in Pittsburgh. He is a member of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society of Pittsburgh.