By Lisa Zimmerman | Engagement Insider
When Oakland Raiders defensive end Antonio Smith speaks about his niece, Anastasia, there is no mistaking the pride in his voice. Just 14 years old, Anastasia has already had more than her fair share of battles. Several years ago, she was diagnosed with fiber optic tumors in her right eye. The tumors were cured, but one of the medications she was on created a secondary problem – weight gain.
Smith’s sister, Antwonette, Anastasia’s mother, watched as her daughter fought her battle, but also saw other families struggling with their own illnesses and similar side effects. The Smiths had a solid support system, but that wasn’t the case for everyone and she knew this was a cause she wanted her family to be a part of. Smith was on board immediately as he had watched for years as many members of his family, both children and adults, had battled their weight and saw the diabetes and heart complications that ensued. With this history of obesity in his family, his niece’s situation was the last element that proved the jumping off point for their foundation, Little People, Big Challenges, which was launched in 2012.
The foundation’s goal is to teach and empower children and their parents to make health and lifestyle changes that can permanently impact their lives. One aspect that they’ve had to be vigilant about is to make sure the children don’t feel self-conscious about themselves while they are being educated about how to take charge of their struggles.
“That’s something that we’ve been learning on the run,” Smith said. “But, I believe whole heartedly that anything you do out of love will be received in love. I always speak from my heart and it just works out. I don’t have a magic formula; I just address the disease of childhood obesity.”
And as Antwonette pointed out, obesity has just as much of an impact on families and society as many other diseases.
“Our goal is to make sure we’re all aware that this is not just about losing weight,” Antwonette said. “This is about our economy, medical costs. Our world is going downhill from obesity. It’s about how much it costs to maintain being fat, including buying larger clothes. A plus size person can’t buy things as easily.”
She also discussed how for working families, combining jobs with having to cook a meal every night can sometimes seem daunting and it often seems easier to reach for solutions that are fast, but aren’t healthy. The foundation wants to teach people that preparing a healthy, satisfying meal is often just as easy as other options.
The foundation currently offers information and resources regarding many assets of healthy eating, including shopping for the right food and easy ways of preparing meals. They have held meal preparation seminars and events at local schools while also offering talks and demonstrations about physical fitness
Smith is also creating different ways of getting children physically active. The owner of a 130-acre ranch in his native Oklahoma City, he has a lifetime love of the outdoors, especially horseback riding and rodeos. Antwonette’s son, Timothy, has already ventured into barrel racing and Smith wants to open up that arena to the children involved with the foundation. He has already done various camps and wants to expand on that.
“I’m going to put a rodeo on and do a camp to keep [the children] active and show them that everyday outdoor activities are considered exercise,” Smith said. “You don’t have to go to a gym. Professional rodeos competitors work with their horses every day. Riding a horse is exercise.”
Little People Big Challenges has been a team effort. Smith and Antwonette work with their associate, Jennifer Simpson, and the three of them are continually working on new ideas and expanding the foundation’s reach. They currently host events in Oklahoma City, Houston (where Antwonette is located) and Oakland.
As for Anastasia, she is now a healthy eight grader, still working hard to lose weight and seeing the rewards. She qualified for a spot on her school’s track team and has become a member of the cheerleading squad. Her accomplishments have motivated other family members, including her mother, to follow in her footsteps to lose weight and get healthier.
“My daughter is my number one inspiration, “Antwonette said. “She put everything she had into it.”
Smith is gratified that assisting in his own family’s battles has provided a conduit to helping so many others. He continues to spread his simple philosophy that he has seen come to life in his family: that there’s no limit to what you can achieve if you put your mind to it.
For more information about the Little People with Big Challenges Foundation: www.littlepeoplewithbigchallenges.org.