Like many women, Rev. Theresa S. Thames grew up on the Southern comforts of rich, home-cooked meals. However, food became a source of discomfort and by the time she was 33, the young New Jersey resident was 447 lbs. Rev. Thames shared with BlackDoctor.org her inspiring story of choosing freedom and the first step that changed her life.
It’s a vicious cycle, a cycle that I learned at a very young age growing up in Southern Mississippi. If you’re hungry, eat. If you’re tired, eat. If there is a reason to celebrate, eat. If you are sad and depressed, eat.
I learned that life revolves around feelings and food. Thus, I had come to believe that food was the balm to soothe all of the issues of my heart and soul. Unfortunately, I was enslaved in the vicious cycle of feeling and eating with no way to break free.
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By the time I was 14 years old I weighed 280 lbs. By the time I was 33 years old I was 447 lbs. Nevertheless, I carried my weight with pride and always made certain that I was stylishly dressed.
I flippantly blamed my Southern roots and “big bones” for my voluptuous size. However, the truth was that I was trapped in the vicious cycle and had mastered the art of feeling and eating.
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If I were to be completely honest, I was not happy. I was miserable, afraid, depressed, and dying. I had eaten my way through an abusive marriage, a demanding career, an emotional divorce, the death of my sister, the death of my father, the death of my ex-husband, years of grief, and the realities of single motherhood. I was literally eating my life away.
A glimpse of freedom came into my life when I mistakenly landed on the GirlTrek: Healthy Black Women and Girls Facebook page. This page showed images of smiling Black women taking charge of their health through walking.
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I “liked” the page and read the posts. I then entered a simple competition and won a t-shirt. The winning of this t-shirt was not happenstance, but a divine connection and intervention. One of the founders of GirlTrek, Vanessa Garrison, emailed me and asked me to join the movement. GirlTrek saved my life.
Unbeknownst to them, they asked me to pray for the #WeAreHarriet National GirlTrek gathering when I was in the midst of fighting my way through darkness and depression.
The message of GirlTrek was not, "Hey you fat Black woman, workout to lose weight and get thin." The words that the founders Vanessa and Morgan spoke were, "Walk yourself to FREEDOM."
They did not ask me to record my food intake nor count my steps. They simply said, "Sister, we love you. We believe in you. We need you to love yourself enough to commit to walking 30 minutes a day." THIS I could do. THIS I could commit to. On Sunday, March 10, 2013, I chose freedom.
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As GirlTrek celebrates the life and legacy of Harriet Tubman, I too celebrate my own freedom. GirlTrek and Mother Harriet have taught me that freedom of spirit, mind and body is possible now in this earthen vessel. I learned to walk and pray. I learned to walk and surrender. I learned to walk and listen to God’s great dream for my life. I walked my way to freedom from depression, stress and that vicious cycle. I walked and walked until 230 lbs of burdens lifted from my body. In choosing freedom, I walked into the fullness of God’s love, grace and power. However, my freedom and healing is not enough.
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Harriet Tubman once said, “I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” When I trek and workout in my GirlTrek gear, I am making a statement and declaring a mission to model healing, health, self-care, and freedom to women and girls that look like me. GirlTrek is a beautiful sister full of hope in midst of despair, joy in the midst of pain, and love in a world of hate. Join the sisterhood. Get a taste of freedom and be forever changed. Get free.
BlackDoctor.org is excited for this content partnership with GirlTrek to feature #BlackGirlHealing, an initiative created to document the narratives, struggles and successes of Black women on the journey to living their healthiest, most fulfilled lives through the habit of daily walking. This initiative will further the mission of decreasing health disparities and stigma among women and girls, and further the conversation that self care is a revolutionary act of love. Join the movement at www.girltrek.org.
See #BlackGirlHealing in action!
The Rev. Dr. Theresa S. Thames is the Associate Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel at Princeton University. As an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church, Theresa served as a local pastor in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area for nine years. She received her undergraduate degree from Howard University, a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Gender Studies from Duke University Divinity School, and is pursuing her doctorate from Wesley Seminary with an emphasis in Leadership Excellence. Theresa is passionate about the intersections of theology, gender, interfaith discourse, and social justice. She is a challenging preacher, thoughtful theologian, and devoted friend. Theresa is a lover of life who prioritizes Sabbath-keeping, self-care, and radical joy.
