“If I can be here on this end, to change one or two people’s lives and to make themselves a better, healthier individual, and change their lifestyle so that they have fulfillment, and, you know, joy, throughout the rest of their lives,” she said. “Then that makes me happy, and I feel like I am doing my job on Earth.”

Growing up in the East Texas town of Henderson with a father who coached football, Dana was always involved in and exposed to all kinds of sports. Her first love was gymnastics, in which she competed until she went to college.

“There was a point in my life where I almost chose gymnastics as my journey and started training for the Olympics,” she confessed.

Instead, Dana decided to pursue cheerleading and cheered at Texas Christian University during her five years there. She met her husband, Shawn, through sports as he was a member of the Horned Frog football team. After finishing nursing school at TCU, she worked as a labor and delivery nurse for the next 15 years.

“I always knew I wanted to work with women and do something with babies,” said Dana.

After having a child herself, Dana says she enjoyed doing on-demand workouts like “Beachbody” and other short cardio sessions on television. At the time, they worked perfectly for her, and she was able to meet her fitness goals.

“I loved it,” she said. “I just fell in love with how quick it was.”

After having her second child, Dana experienced postpartum depression and found it much harder for both her mind and body to bounce back to her pre-baby baseline. She knew it was possible and began looking for ways to make it happen.

“Muscle has memory,” she said. “Just learning and doing my own research into fitness and strength training inspired me to get my personal training certification.”

Her new path took her away from nursing. Leaving her beloved nursing job was not an easy decision to make, but Dana remained driven to help women who were trying to cope with the same postpartum struggles she underwent.

“Transitioning to personal training allowed me to use the gifts that God had given me and be a disciple through teaching,” Dana said. “Using my fitness knowledge and wisdom to help other women out there like me has brought such joy.”

In 2017, Dana started substitute teaching at Camp Gladiator in Fort Worth, and by 2019, she began training clients one-on-one in their homes. That same year, she launched an online platform that has since grown to include more than 92,000 followers on Instagram.

“It was hard for me to step away from nursing,” Dana said. “I prayed for the direction to be led. Your head can tell you one thing, but you may not have peace in your heart. And this is especially for entrepreneurs: if you pray about it and if you have peace about it, that is, to me, your all-tell sign.”

Dana’s fitness routines are so appealing to new or busy moms because she incorporates many compound moves to keep home workouts quick, fun, and dynamic.

“[Sacrifice] is a big part of what moms do,” Dana said. “They just kind of give up on themselves, and they let their bodies go because they are taking care of their children. I have learned that you can do both.”

These days, Dana only has a few personal training clients left. One of these clients is Laura Davidson of Fort Worth, who has been training with Dana for five-and-a-half years after knowing her for 14 years.

“Dana is a true gem and was made to be a health and fitness coach,” said Laura. “She pushes me when I think I can’t go anymore but gives me grace when she knows I’ve reached my limit. She pushes me out of my comfort zone but doesn’t judge when I need a break. Dana is a true cheerleader in every sense of the word. She’s seen me at my darn-near worst but challenges me to be my best.”

Now, the exercise expert has switched gears and is launching her own smartphone application in hopes that it will reach more people. The app will feature a new six-week program called “Focus Now, Finish Strong” that teaches the foundations of strength and cardio training. It includes three 20- to 30-minute weekly workouts and helps you develop good habits and a healthier lifestyle.

photo credit: Paige Walker Photography

“Anyone can do these workouts,” Dana said. “By the end of the six weeks, you are going to feel significantly stronger if you abide by the program design.”

Even though Dana runs a Christian faith-based business, she is proud to have followers from different backgrounds worldwide.

“That’s crazy to me that I can reach someone over in another country [through the Internet], and the people that want to be on my page are going to be here,” she said. “They are not going to let someone else’s faith deter them. If anything, it is going to open their eyes.”

One follower from Belgium who claimed to be an atheist told Dana that the faith-based aspects of her account did not really make a difference to her.

Because of the religious nature of her programs, Dana is sometimes challenged to defend herself and her faith online.

“You’re going to have people that judge you,” she said. “I am not perfect, and people sometimes want to associate me with a Christian account as being perfect.”

She continued, “There are people out there who do not believe. [The follower from Belgium] does not have a firm belief, but she continues to follow me. She says it doesn’t bother her because she loves my workouts, but she also loves my authenticity, and she loves to be open to the idea of being a Christian.”

Dana plans to add up to four more fitness programs in 2025 and will use the new app to offer on-demand workouts similar to the ones she currently posts on YouTube. In terms of equipment needed for her workouts, she likes to keep it minimal. Generally, all you need are hand weights or resistance bands to follow along.

“I do focus a lot on dumbbells, but I also incorporate resistance bands for lower-impact style options for people, including those with joints that are hurt or who have had surgery,” Dana said. “And then there are workouts that are just body weighted because I do like travel workouts. Traveling with bands is super convenient. You don’t need fancy equipment to get a workout in. You don’t even need a gym to get a workout in. I like to focus on that.”

The certified fitness trainer also suggests adding a walk to any workout or finding other ways to enjoy cardio.

“Our bodies do need cardio,” Dana said. “We need to be aware of our heart’s health, and heart health is achieved by doing cardio. That means going on a walk, going on a bike ride, or playing tennis. It doesn’t have to be high-intensity. Do what makes you happy, but don’t forget walking because it does so much for our mental health.”

photo credit: Paige Walker Photography

Dana remains positive while dealing with an ongoing heart condition that was discovered after she had COVID-19. The condition requires her to limit her cardio workouts while monitoring her heart rate closely. She also believes in the importance of taking the time to care for yourself and says that self-care will impact your life in more ways than one.

“When you pick up a dumbbell, when you take that first lap around your neighborhood, you are going to feel the physical benefits from that,” she said. “But the mental benefits that come from that workout are going to bring a whole new light to you and the people around you because you’re going to be happy.”

Of course, the most significant piece of advice Dana gives clients is that consistency is key to reaching your health and fitness goals.

“You want to throw in the towel when you don’t get that result in a week or even sometimes six months, but you have to stay consistent,” she said. “You will change your body type. You will see the benefits when you start to plant that seed. You’ll see it eventually, but it doesn’t grow overnight. Plants don’t grow overnight. You have to give your body time.”

While staying consistent is hard, Dana believes it can be an especially great teaching moment for new (and not-so-new) parents.

“You’re being a good inspiration to the kids around you who see you doing hard things,” she said. “It’s going to encourage them. It’s going to carry on your legacy. You’ve got to do hard things. You’ve got to be consistent, and you’ve got to just take that first step in your workouts and in your life.”

Although she has a background in medicine as a registered nurse with a certification in obstetrics, Dana likes to make it clear she is not a nutritionist but rather a certified fitness nutrition coach. She helps her clients understand things like micronutrients and calorie deficits, but her favorite piece of dietary advice is pretty straightforward.

“If it has a mama or it grows from the earth, eat it,” she laughs. “If it doesn’t have a mama, then it is probably processed.”

Dana advocates eating minimally processed and whole foods, farm-to-plate style meals, and clean meat, including elk, bison, and other wild game.

photo credit: Paige Walker Photography

“I married a hunter, and so one of our biggest things we do is to shoot a deer for the season, and we live on venison,” she said. “My son just got his first buck, and we just had venison chili Sunday night, and it was the freshest meat because it is literally from our ranch.”

When she is not working out, you will find Dana watching TCU football, hunting, fishing, dancing, and traveling far beyond her lovely Ridglea Hills neighborhood.

“I love to see different cultures,” she said. “I especially love being able to relate to other cultures online because my followers are from all over the world.”

At the end of the day, Dana knows there is a lot of mixed information about health and wellness, especially on the internet, and finding your path to fitness can be daunting.

“You know, in the fitness world, there’s a lot of noise out there,” she said. “And so, it boils down to this question: what are your wellness goals? What do you want your body to do for you? What part of life are you in? Once you figure that out, you can find people that understand you to help you achieve those goals.”

The post Using Her Gifts: Dana Stilley on Fitness and Faith first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Photo courtesy of Nicoletta Bradley

Look no farther than a new fitness and faith ministry called Noble here in Fort Worth, started by previous Zyn22 instructor, personal trainer, and Free People Movement ambassador Nicoletta Bradley.

What is Noble?

• A five-week long program with 10 group personal training sessions and 10 Bible study lessons on the biggest struggles we face as teenage and young adult women.

Who is Noble for?

• The girl who wants to be set free from insecurity, comparison, disordered eating, people pleasing, and body image, while developing genuine friendships with other girls, grow in her walk with the Lord, and wants to be challenged physically.

When is Noble?

• June 5th-July 7th on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2pm! (more sessions to be added)

Where is Noble?

• Enduralab – the best gym in all of Fort Worth!

Any added benefits?

•   Noble only girls dessert and shop event
•   Lululemon shop night with a 20% discount!
•   Extra discounts at local vendors such as chiropractic offices and pre-made meal services!

Let’s be honest, high school, and college is SO HARD! Comparison, friendships, body image, popularity, boys, etc. leave one exhausted, depressed, and insecure.

Photo courtesy of Nicoletta Bradley

What if freedom from the lies on TikTok and Instagram that tell you that you need to “be better, prettier, and skinner” was available? What if you could break free from the lies of culture that tells you to control your food and the way you look by replacing it with truth that lasts? What if the solution to insecurity and a negative relationship with yourself and your body had nothing to do with changing one’s external appearance but by believing in what God has to say about you?

Since launching Noble at Texas Christian University in January of 2023, Noble is changing the fitness industry forever locally and across the country. Young women who went through it this spring said that “going through Noble changed their life forever” and has “allowed multiple of them to graduate from eating disorder counseling.” Many young college women “dedicated their life to the Lord for the first time” and “found deep friendships that last compared to the shallow relationships they had before.”

Photo courtesy of Nicoletta Bradley

Nicoletta created Noble after battling a 20-year eating disorder herself and hopes to enter into the fitness industry in a new way that changes young women forever. She believes that when you know what the Bible says about you instead of what culture demands of you, you hold your head high.

Email Nicoletta Bradley at nicoletta.m.bradley@gmail.com to learn more about the next upcoming Noble session starting June 5^th or check out her instagram at @nicolettabradley for videos, testimonies of previous attendees, and for more details! Spots are limited!

The post Fitness and Faith Ministry for Young Women first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

photo credit: Shannon Lange Photography

But for the people who know Joan, she is so much more than the name on one of Fort Worth’s preeminent cancer centers. She is the comforting voice on the phone, the outstretched hand, the warm words of encouragement at just the right moment. She’s the type of person who makes you feel like you matter and that you are not alone. She is a person who genuinely cares.   

Joan is also a four-time cancer survivor who has struggled with heart disease and infertility. She has faced the darkness; she has wrestled with overwhelming fear. Now she shines a light for others who must walk a similar path, determined to be a beacon of hope so that no one will have to face their journey by themselves. 

Joan was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time when she was just 30 years old. It was 1982, long before our modern era of pink ribbons and walks for the cure. Today, “early detection” and “breast self-exam” are familiar buzzwords, and the National Football League plays in pink cleats for breast cancer awareness every October. In the early 80s, the disease was still quite stigmatized. “[Breast cancer] wasn’t talked about. I wasn’t educated about it,” says Joan. “Now there is a lot of information, but there wasn’t back then…I was so naïve.” After finding a lump, her doctor sent her to have a mammogram right away. “I had to call my mom on the way and ask her what that was.” 

Soon, Joan was being wheeled into surgery for a mastectomy, her world turned upside down. “In an instant, I had entered a scary world of unknowns,” she says. “People all around me, their lives were going on, and I was just… frozen, waking up in the operating room.” Joan had little idea of the difficult recovery process ahead. “I wondered if the knot in my stomach would ever go away.” At a doctor’s appointment with her husband Howard at her side, words swirled inside her head: radiation, chemotherapy, hysterectomy. “I was just so overwhelmed,” she recalls, emotion still rising in her voice all these years later. “My husband turned to me and asked, ‘How do you eat a really big elephant?’ The only way to do this is one bite at a time. That is what we did then, and how we still try to live our lives, focusing just on the step we are standing on.” 

Breast cancer wasn’t the first health issue that Joan had to cope with; she and her husband had struggled with years of infertility. When she was first diagnosed with cancer, the couple had just been approved by the Gladney Center for Adoption and were waiting for that magical phone call to tell them that they were going to be parents. “We were so excited to be approved and waiting to adopt.” Their nursery was already decorated and ready to welcome a child. “We did polka dot in primary colors,” she remembers. “We went bold… the dust ruffle was in one color polka dot, and the sheets were in another.” But her diagnosis put all their plans on hold. “We just shut the door [to the nursery], not knowing what would happen. We had to focus on my health.” 

Photo courtesy of Joan Katz

After the operation, the chemotherapy, and the hair loss, Joan’s oncologist encouraged her and Howard to rejoin the waiting list at Gladney. They became the parents of a little girl, Lori. The door of the nursery was back open. “I can totally remember the joy when we got that phone call.” she says. “[It] was beyond our greatest hopes, wishes, and prayers. Our daughter was a dream come true.” 

Lori was in the third grade when Joan was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time, in 1992. “It’s so hard when you’re diagnosed with a little one. That made it much more real, having a child and wanting to be there for the child.” Joan’s cancer returned again in 1996, when Lori was just beginning the difficult transition from child to woman.  

“I was starting to do my treatment for that third diagnosis, and Lori and I went to Dillard’s to shop for bathing suits. Well, she was in seventh grade, and she was really very curvy. She was wanting to wear these skimpy little bathing suits, and we got in a huge fight over it. And I remember coming home thinking, ‘I am coping fine with cancer, but I am not coping fine with this fight over a bathing suit!’” Although motherhood and cancer have very different challenges, they are connected by the shadowy specter of uncertainty. “Going through a cancer diagnosis is so uncertain, and there are no clear answers. If you knew the answers, you would do it. And raising children is the same way.”  

Today, we’re all facing a fresh variety of uncertainty with COVID-19. Joan is in a higher-risk group, and like all of us, she has experienced the anxiety of the time. “We’re human, you know. It’s hard. I always say it doesn’t do any good to work yourself up, but we’re human beings, so sometimes you just have to give in to it.” To de–stress, she takes walks, does Pilates, and plays games on her iPad. “Certain television shows can help me relax. I probably don’t want to admit it,” she laughs, “but the Hallmark Channel is really good during the coronavirus, because it always has happy endings.”  

photo credit: Shannon Lange Photography

She also tries to prioritize self-care. “We are in charge of our health mentally, physically, and spiritually. We need to make this a priority. We cannot be there for anyone else if we do not take care of ourselves. Sometimes you feel like you are being selfish if you are doing something just for you. But you deserve it. Everyone does.” Still, she admits, “I’m probably one of the worst, because I’m always doing, always going, and busy. But over the last few years, I’ve realized that you can’t get everything done in one day. It will still be there tomorrow. Just try to remember to do something for yourself as much as you can. Every day.” 

Having cancer has given Joan unique insights for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. “No one chooses to have cancer. But actually, you live your life in a much better way because you’ve had cancer,” she explains. “[It] teaches you about what’s really important.”  

Cancer and the coronavirus offer similar lessons: Today is a gift. Don’t put things off because everything can change in an instant. If there’s something you really want to do, you should try to make it happen. Have as few regrets as possible. Hold on to the people that you love.  

“Whether you’re a cancer survivor or you’re living through a pandemic, the best way to go through any crisis is not alone.” 

Thanks to the Joan Katz Cancer Resource Center, no one will ever have to face the crisis of cancer alone. Located at Baylor Scott & White All Saints in Fort Worth, the Center offers a wide range of support for people who have been diagnosed with the disease, from nutritional counseling and exercise classes to state-of-the-art surgical procedures. All non-medical services are free to all patients and their families, regardless of where they receive their direct medical care.  

Photo courtesy of Joan Katz

“When your world gets turned upside down…you want it to be fixed, and you want to have the answers right away. And that’s why the Cancer Center was formed, so that people would have a place to immediately turn to for answers.” Each patient who calls the Center is connected with a ‘navigator’ for immediate help with any type of cancer. “That person will take your hand, and they will guide you through everything. They’ll be there to answer questions, they’ll be there to help you get resources,” explains Joan. “They will walk through this whole experience with you.” 

The navigation services offered at the Center are informed by Joan’s experiences with cancer, including a diagnosis of bladder cancer just a few years ago. “It’s overwhelming at first—totally overwhelming,” she says. “But I always tell other survivors that the knot in your stomach can go away. You can go on, and you’ll live your life in a better way because you have gone through this… If you had told me as that 30-year-old about all the things that I would get to do, and that I would still be here 38 years later, and that I would have gotten to be a mom, and now a grandmother, I would have never believed that.” 

“You have to hold onto hope and faith… We do not have a cure yet for cancer, but there have been amazing advancements and funding for scientific research. Every single day offers a brand new hope that medical breakthroughs will finally outrun the disease.” Joan advises to ask plenty of questions, and don’t forget to eat the elephant one bite at a time. “Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. Picking your medical team is important, so don’t feel like you have to do it so fast that you don’t form the right partnerships. You can get second opinions, and that’s all okay.” Most of all, “remember that it will get better. And let people help you – that’s the hard part… There are times in life when we all need help.” 

If you have a friend or loved one who has been diagnosed with cancer, it can be difficult to know what to do or to say. But you don’t need the perfect idea – just make sure that they aren’t having to go it alone. “Try to help them access support services… and just let them know you care… just feeling supported means everything.”  

Photo courtesy of Joan Katz

“Just do something for them,” says Joan. Bring them a plate of food. Show up with a bag of groceries. Give them a gift certificate to a house-cleaning service. Offer to do specific chores, like walking their dog or handling the laundry. “Emails and texts are really nice.” But be careful not to burden the patient with questions that put the ball back in their court, such as, “What do you need?” “What food do you really want?” “How can I help?” These offers seem kind on the surface, but someone dealing with a crisis is already juggling too many balls, so don’t ask them to figure out what you should do to help. Just help. “It’s not the size of what you do. It’s just mainly letting them know that they don’t have to do this by themselves… That’s really important.” 

We may not all be able to raise millions of dollars or launch a nationally renowned cancer resource center, but we can all send a text or an email. We can all sit with a friend who is hurting, as Joan has done so many times. Small acts can have a big impact, and great things are achieved with little steps. Joan’s mission to help cancer survivors started with a single 5K race and has grown into a lifelong journey, fueled by the support of countless others. “I feel so amazed that I’ve been able to be part of so many group efforts that have resulted in so many things for our community,” she says. “We’ve all done it together.” 

Joan’s contributions will last for many generations, echoing through the lives of so many families. But even beyond her many good deeds, she lights the way for others with her hope, strength, and perseverance. “I don’t want to just be known as a cancer survivor. I am grateful to be a cancer survivor, but I don’t want to be known just for what I’ve done. I want to be remembered for the person that I am… I want to be remembered as a good family member, a good mom, a good grandmother, a good person.” 

Bad things happen, but with the help of people like Joan Katz, we’ll get through them – together. From lofty accomplishments to small moments of kindness, she inspires us all to shine a light in the darkness.  

Raised in the Fort Worth area, Shilo Urban moved to Austin, Maine, Paris, Seattle, New Zealand, and Los Angeles before finding her way home a few years ago. Along the way, she has had over three dozen different jobs, including high school French teacher, record label manager, and farmhand for endangered livestock breeds. She’s traveled to more than 50 countries and always has the next trip planned. Shilo has been a freelance writer for over a decade and has published in Fort Worth Magazine, Fort Worth Weekly, and Afar. Her interests include lost civilizations, jalapeño peppers, and Game of Thrones. She is currently writing a thriller and lives in Fort Worth with the stars of this article, Steve and Lenny.

The post Good Deeds, Great and Small first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

During the first part of January, 2018, I will have a double mastectomy to rid my body of this invasion. This news has most certainly slowed on our transition to California. For those of your who were not aware of our move, my family was planning to move to Ventura, California at the first of the year for my husband to pursue music in television, commercial, and film. While it has been a shock to all of us, one thing is for sure: God knows what He is doing.

Do I feel sad? Yes. Am I disappointed? Yes. Do I get angry? Totally. Will it change my faith and trust in God? NOPE. I am in no way trying to sound self-righteous or like I have all the answers or that I am not phased one bit. On the contrary! There have been many moments I have been brought to my knees, pleading with Him to help me understand why He chose this part of my journey to happen. The answer from Him I hear constantly in my heart is, “Trust Me, I’ve got you.” And with that, I have no choice but to trust Him with all I can muster inside of my soul. You see, I have a long list of moments in my life where I have had to do just that, and He has never left me or forsaken me, even when I felt alone. Why would He leave me now? He won’t. He has always made His presence known and brought me to better place one way or another. While getting over the initial shock, a sweet friend gave me something to consider: this news of cancer is a beautiful reminder of what Mary, mother of Jesus, must have felt when God gave her the incredible responsibility to carry the Savior of the World in her belly. I, in no way, consider myself an equal with Mary!! My point is that she felt overwhelmed in many ways as she and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem. She knew to whom she was giving birth, and she experienced rejection, discomfort, frustration, uncertainty, and many other unpleasant things, I’m sure, in the moments along the way to the birth of her son. All of those moments ultimately led to something amazing, which was the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who would ultimately sacrifice his own life to save ours. I believe this diagnosis has a greater purpose and meaning for my family. One that will allow us to continue to testify to the glory of our Lord, His mercies, His grace, and His deep LOVE for every single one of us.

I am so grateful for the prayers and support our family has been given so far. It has blown my mind, honestly. As surgery approaches and I have to take a break from the things I love to do (for example, riding with my Zyn22 family!), I am comforted by His grace and mercy that we found the cancer when we did and that we are surrounded by the family and friends who bring us so much comfort and joy. Cancer will not define me. It will shape me into more of who He longs for me to become. I am ready to practice what I preach in my spin classes, “God created the one and only me for a purpose: I will not give up.” HE will fight for me, especially when I don’t have the strength because I KNOW I will have days ahead when I won’t want to fight. It will be in those moments that I will have to make a conscious choice to allow God to continue to give me the strength to keep going.

Where does God have you, right now? Do you believe He fights for you? Do you believe He cares? I hope and pray you know He does.

I hold these truths deep in my heart, and I invite you to do the same:

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Isaiah 40:31 “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”

Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you. You only need to be still.”

And my personal fave…Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all you heart; lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

Blessings and Health!

Jennifer Kieta is a native Texan, born and raised in Houston. She graduated from Texas Tech University and has lived in Fort Worth since 1996. Jennifer worked as a Child Life Specialist at Cook Children’s Medical Center for 9 years before becoming a full-time mommy to her two daughters. In the fall of 2014, Jennifer started training and soon became a spin instructor for Zyn22, a boutique spin studio here in Fort Worth. Her love of and belief in taking care of your mind, soul, and body has always been a priority, and she looks forward to sharing that love with her community!

The post With Wings Like Eagles first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.