Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1387973
JULY / AUGUST 2021 15 living fit meet the athlete / instructor insights Meet the athlete Lauren Barber By Mae Jacobson, Associate Editor Lauren Barber's path to the rugby pitch was a bit unconven- tional. At first, she didn't want to play. When a high school basketball teammate asked her, Lauren said she would but only if her mom said yes. "I was fully expecting an 'absolutely not' from her," Lauren recalls. Fifteen years later, Lauren is still playing and coaching rugby. She was twice named most valuable high school player in Indiana, played for the Indiana High School All-Star team, and graduated from Penn State Uni- versity, where she helped the Nittany Lions win four consecu- tive Division I 15s national championship titles from 2012–2015. Lauren joined the WAC in 2018 and plays 15s for the Seattle Rugby Club and 7s for the WAC women's team. "The WAC really cares about our success and ensures that we are well taken care of," she says. "I'm proud to put on the WAC wings jersey every weekend." Lauren also works as the recruitment director for the Seattle Rugby Club and coaches for a number of youth programs, including the Washington State Loggers and the Seattle Seawolves' Run With the Pack pregame program. —Read our extended conversation with Lauren online at wac.net/lauren-barber. A WAC aquatics instructor since 2008, Yukie Reed started swimming at just three years old. Growing up in Osaka, Japan, her early love for water flowed into a lifelong aquatics career, starting with competitive swimming, swim lesson instruction, and lifeguarding. "When water exercise first became popular in Japan, I thought it was a great way for anyone to enjoy the water," Yukie says. "So I started training and was one of the early aquatic fitness instructors in the country." Since then, Yukie has worked as a swim and fitness instructor in ailand, Taiwan, and, of course, at the WAC! "e members who come to my class every week work hard and enjoy themselves," she says. "ey are a source of inspira- tion." Yukie has also worked with patients in the therapy pool at Seattle Children's Hospital. In her spare time, she donates to local food pantries, volunteers at Seattle Children's food bank, and takes walks. "I love to walk—it gets me where I'm going, and I can enjoy the fresh air," Yukie says. New acupuncturist e WAC Wellness Center is excited to reintro- duce acupuncture to its menu of services with the expertise of Dr. Karin Jespersen. A licensed acupuncturist and East Asian Medicine Provider, Dr. Jespersen provides acupuncture treatment for a number of concerns, including women's health disorders, heart and pulmonary diseases, gastro- intestinal issues, mental health, neuromuscular repair, and pain. As the daughter of the only dentists in a small Midwestern town, Dr. Jespersen grew up witnessing the importance of health care and community. Inspired by the compassion and care her family provided to their neighbors, Dr. Jespersen earned her doctorate in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine from the Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine. "My passion is in providing community-based health care and helping people feel their best through acupuncture," she says. Book with Dr. Jespersen beginning in September. Learn more and make an appointment at wac.net/acupuncture. A N I T A N O W A C K A E M I L I O H U E R T A S C O U R T E S Y P H O T O Tri/Cycle Club The WAC offers triathlon coaching, and the WAC Tri/Cycle Club connects members training for endurance events. The club plans to resume regular activities in the fall. Learn more at wac.net/ tricycle-club. Instructor Insights Yukie Reed Aquatics