“Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.”

Beautifully said by Andrea Martinez, our 2021 Health Coach Day scholarship recipient!

Our second-annual Health Coach Day, which focused on three pillars – community, education, and service – underscored not only the work the IIN community does every day to bring health and happiness to the world, but also the day’s events and the values the winner of the Health Coach Day scholarship will aim to uphold.

Andrea, from Spain, has wanted to expand her knowledge of health and wellness to share with the world for quite some time. Growing up in an area with an abundance of quality, fresh food, family meals were often plant-based and included lots of fruits and vegetables. About four years ago, during an intense emotional and personal growth phase, Andrea started to experience debilitating digestive issues and back pain, going from doctor to doctor trying to figure out the cause.

Everyone kept asking her, “Why are you sick? You eat well!” and “Why are you in pain? You’re one of the healthiest people I know!” which only perpetuated the feelings of stress and anxiety around not knowing what was happening in her body. Finally, after the back pain became so bad she could not walk, Andrea knew that something needed to change.

Andrea began to see a therapist, which helped her recognize the connection between her emotional and mental health and her physical well-being. She also started physical therapy, which helped ease her back pain. She continues to work on improving her strength and has made an incredible recovery, prioritizing not only her physical health but also her emotional health by spending as much time with her family as possible.

Images via Andrea Martinez

Now, she wants to learn more about the deep connections between physical and emotional/mental health and support others in their own journeys toward healing, guiding them to discover the root causes of their health issues. She views her experience as a sign from the universe to pursue a career helping others.

The IIN team is thrilled to have Andrea join our incredible global community. We know she will translate her experience into meaningful change for her future clients! We also know many of you are using your IIN education to serve your communities, too. Follow us on Instagram – @nutritionschool – and share your IIN experience with us!