|
Shamora Wright, a 36-year-old Palm Springs local, started The Black Wellness Club to boost health and wellness in the city's Black community. The club held off its first event on March 1 and offers free wellness activities in addition to partnering with local businesses to make health services more accessible.
The idea for Wright's business followed her move back to Palm Springs after living in Daytona Beach. It was then that she started making changes in her life.
"When I came back home, I was focused on my own health," Wright says. "But I noticed that when I invited others to work out or explore nature with me, it kept me accountable and changed how we interacted with each other."
She began taking her health more seriously after her father passed away and when she learned several of the women she grew up with had passed away as well. She attributes their deaths in part to the effects of COVID-19 and health disparities.
To address those disparities, she launched club. Its first event series, Black Women Hike, started last Saturday with a trek up Araby Trail.
The club plans to meet on the first and third Saturday of each month, with the next outing planned for March 15 at the base of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
While the club centers on the Black community, Wright stresses that everyone is welcome to join in.
"We're open to all groups. If you support Black women, health, and getting out in nature, come work out with us," she says.
As a 36-year-old single mother of two, Wright realizes that she is part of the next generation of leaders in the community.
“[I]t’s almost a personal responsibility for myself to make sure that my family has some legacy in this community, and that I’m also making sure that I’m the one that’s taking action and doing things to make sure that the community thrives.”
Be sure to read more about Shamora in Maggie Miles’ full story here.
Get to know her better below. |
