Monday, September 1, 2014

ZINspiration Mondays: Mariann Knudsen

Today's ZINspiration comes from Mariann Knudsen of Pandrup, Denmark.  Mariann has a condition called Myxedema, which is a metabolism condition that also affects certain parts of the brain. Don't think that stops her for a second! At first, she was too shy to attend classes in person, so she purchased Zumba Party for Wii for her birthday. After building some confidence, she started attending classes with her sister in law.



Mariann went "all in on Zumba" when she lost her job due to her last employer's financial downturn, and has since worked on perfecting her practice. In September 2013, she became licensed to teach and went on to get trained in Zumba Gold, too. Mariann's favorite songs are Rueda Rueda by Eddy Lover, La Marioneta by Zumba, and Estoy Enamorado by Wisin & Yandel.

Not only did she turn a negative (losing her job) into a positive (becoming a ZIN!), but adding Zumba to her life led to health improvements, too. In Mariann's words, "It's like a miracle, even the doctors are surprised with me! My focus is better, when I dance I can concentrate on more than one thing, and my balance and coordination are so much better too. I feel happier."

If you're in the Zumba-related groups on Facebook, you've likely seen Mariann's cheerful status updates or her choreo videos. She is truly an inspiration!

2 comments:

  1. Judy Eddy, ZIN from VermontSeptember 1, 2014 at 1:17 PM

    YAY!!! Mariann is my friend and an inspiration to all! GREAT article! When watching her videos one can see her amazing energy, her passion for ZUMBA® Fitness and just how awesome she is!!! Thank you for bringing her story to others who might need some inspiration to follow their dreams.

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  2. Totally agree, Judy! Thanks for reading.

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