Reflections from PE Teacher Eric Wylie

Some reflections from Coach Eric Wylie, a trainer and teacher who taught for FEPPS for the first time in Summer 2018. We appreciate Coach Wylie and all our teachers for their dedication to lifelong learning in all parts of life.

“Today is the first day in 12 weeks that I’ve not spent several hours teaching PE at the Women’s prison in Purdy. To be quite honest, I’m still processing the experience and wrapping up the last of the college paperwork. It’s still feels a little abstract of all that we’ve accomplished….

First and foremost, if you’re waiting for the perfect time or perfect conditions to improve your own health, stop waiting. Quit stalling and get started. You don’t NEED the ideal conditions. You CREATE the conditions that allow you to succeed.

You don’t need GMO-free, free range, antibiotic free, heirloom, ketogenic foods. That might be what the media tells you but you don’t. They don’t have that in the prison and the students did a wonderful job learning about the foods they have available and making better choices.

You don’t need an ultra-hip workout program or the latest technology. Do more than you’re doing now. The students learned how to exercise in the weight room, in the gym and in their units. A basic workout routine can be completed anywhere and with minimal (or zero) equipment and still be amazingly effective.

Do you think your life is stressful? Massive respect to my students for dealing with insane amounts of stress and a difficult environment. And many will be dealing with that for years. There’s more to life than worrying about wifi speeds and constantly updating your Instagram or Facebook accounts.

Massive gratitude to the officers and staff of WCCW for their professionalism. Many thanks to my new friends at Freedom Education Project Puget Sound for roping me in to this opportunity. Many of the students asked when I’ll be teaching again and I honestly don’t know. There are several factors to consider but if I can work it in to my schedule, I wouldn’t turn it down if asked…. But I can say with absolute confidence that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to deeply impact the lives of others and that is not something to be taken lightly.”