Meet Linda Penkala

We recently connected with Linda Penkala and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Linda, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

Throughout my career of being a professional jockey and recovering from accidents, trauma, and broken bones, I developed over time a system called FLOW that enabled me to succeed and persevere. It was developed over time as I refined my skills, mental attitude, and inner muscle resilience to return to racing and get back on that horse! It was also applied to general life shifts and changes out of my control to improve my chances of thriving.

The FLOW stands for:

Faith – in God and myself as I came out of shock that it happened, adjusted to my new routine,

and grilled through rehabilitation and physical therapy to regain strength and flexibility.

Love – my support from family and friends surrounding me along the journey toward healing

and my love of racing- boosted my confidence and hope for the future.

Opportunities – seen in a new light at different times of the day, meeting new physical therapy

professionals, and regaining a new sense of gratitude for this evolving situation. I embraced a

more positive mental attitude in preparation for my return to racing.

Willingness – open to future possibilities, appreciating life’s fragility, the business’s dangerous

component, and accepting that accidents are a part of horseracing.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

The great news about my message is that it has evolved from my mess! Landing in the ER or Emergency Room was a come-to-Jesus moment of wondering what went wrong when I was admitted with Atrial Fibrillation or A Fib. From that moment of being admitted to restore my normal heart rhythm, then hearing the cardiologist say we simply do not know how or why this happened sent me on a mission. I needed to understand and learn about my heart and my journey of dealing with stress and life in the fast lane with four teenagers. What I explored and now share is that heart disease is the #1 killer of women, and more than all the cancers combined, women are dying of CVD in record numbers.
It was challenging to read all the stats, pre-covid, how women are dealing with these statistics, or even know about them. It comes to light that more than half of women do not know that CVD is our leading life stealer or that stroke symptoms play into the results of having a heart attack. And now, post-COVID, the research is even worse, and our progress in CVD has now weakened these last few years. Stress without a doubt plays a part in heart health.
My passion and desire to share my knowledge and current statistics with women through my Wise Women Heart Health Program to my Nine Pillars for Heart Disease Prevention is the pinnacle of my teaching and writing. For all women to realize they play a part in this solution, through wiser lifestyle choices are the only way we can shift these numbers. As a massage therapist in the wellness field, I realized I was not stellar in my own intentional choices.
The compilation of my learning journey is in my book, The Pause To Relax, on Amazon and in E-book format. Within the pages, I encompass my former career as a jockey riding horses, with the fast pace of life that women are leading at this moment in time. How women can be more aware and present in their speed and stress level becomes the goal.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. My work ethic passed on from my mom and dad to persevere and accomplish the task at hand, no matter what.

2. To be present for my clients on their stress-filled journey to embrace the possibilities to improve, make wiser choices, and heal for robust health into the future.

3. Over the years of honing my business-building skills, it is imperative to be among other like-minded people who are forward-thinking to improve health, well-being, and an enhanced skillset.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Yes, I would love to collaborate with other women equally passionate about sharing the heart health mission to empower women to know their risk factors for CVD. Since stress is such a high marker to address, it is imperative to work together to educate and lower these statistics for longevity and wellness.

Since women are such fine relational beings, we can be part of the solution if we all come together to work toward a common goal of education, empowerment, and encouragement, that it is possible to relax, lessen stress, and improve sleep habits, to lessen risk factors for CVD. Offering hope and healing toward the future is the goal!!

Reaching me by email is easy, [email protected], or through my website, www.lindapenkala.com, to send an email or comment. You can also find me on LinkedIn, and Instagram (The Pause to Relax).

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Anthony Bellissimo
Lauren Amberman
Linda Penkala

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