Get Fit Selma! 2018 attracted numerous health resources to Wallace Community College Selma on Saturday.

The event featured numerous health screenings and speakers to talk about health in a time when it is often put on the backburner.

One speaker was Ellen McKnight of The Maxine Firm.

McKnight is the founder and principal of The Maxine Firm, a nutrition and wellness firm powered by a network of healthcare professionals. 

Preventing chronic diseases directly related to nutrition practices is the firm’s primary objective.  The program helps facilitate the implementation of healthy lifestyle changes. 

Its services build supportive infrastructures that provide their clientele with the tools needed to achieve their personal nutrition and wellness goals.

The Alabama NFL Players’ Association was also at the event.

The National Football League Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. That includes assisting charitable and community organizations within their members’ States and cities.

At Get Fit Selma! organizers asked them to share their stories about health and wellness as elite athletes and the challenges to their physical health playing professional football as well as the rewards.

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests.

“It’s an extension of a health fair that Dr. Bruce Taylor put on for seven years,” event organizer Stephanie Hamm said. “[Taylor] asked a group of us that were on the Board of Directors for McRae Learning Center if we would take it on as a community service to the community of Selma and as a fundraiser for McRae.”

However, even with all the fun things in store, Hamm said the most important part of the event is the health education.

“It’s a way to address, in a fun, but educational way, the primary disease groups that threaten Selmians and residents of Dallas County,” she said. “Those are hypertension, diabetes, type 2 diabetes and they are aggravated by obesity and an inactive lifestyle. That is what we’re trying to address.”

Eventually we want to build an environment of healthy activity, healthy eating and understanding the importance of being active in order to prevent the life-threatening diseases,” Hamm said.