Category Archives: Lake County Florida Outdoor Activities

Weber Wins Beach Running 10k Championship for third time and Prepares for One-of-a-Kind Youth Running Camps in Lake County Florida

By Weber Way to Wellness Reporter

Weber wins 2015 USA 10K Beach Running Championship
Weber wins 2015 USA 10K Beach Running Championship
Lake County Florida’s Alicia Weber crossed the line first for women and 7th overall in a field of 800 runners at the USA 10k Beach Running Championships on May 10, 2015, in Cocoa Beach, Florida. She is the first runner to win the championship three times. She relished the win as she prepares for her one-of-a-kind youth running camps to be held in Clermont this summer – she has the only top-notch youth running camps in Lake County Florida.

“All levels of youth runners will get top-notch training experiences with gait analysis, preventative injury techniques, stretching/flexibility, sports specific exercises, and nutrition. This camp is beyond just running and it develops an athlete for the long-haul in sports with a winning attitude,” said Alicia Weber, an elite athlete of 23 years with 102 career victories and a slew of world records.

“Alicia is not only a great runner, but also a great motivational trainer for youth to adults to seniors. I encourage parents to have their children attend one of Alicia’s upcoming running camps for the positive motivational physical and mental training Alicia gives. I can attest to this as I have been training under her for three years and compete in Senior Games and I will be 85 this year,” exclaimed Cherie Oney, Top Nationally-ranked sprinter for her age category.

Alicia Weber and Rickie Alcime - 2015 USA 10K Beach Running Champions
Alicia Weber and Rickie Alcime – 2015 USA 10K Beach Running Champions
Orlando’s Rickie Alcime won the 10k overall in a new course record time of 36:47.3. He comes to Clermont to train on the hills and he’s looking forward to participating in Sommer Sports Cool Summer Mornings 5k Series this summer.
“Anybody can run. I look out here and it’s Mother’s Day and many kids are out there running with their moms,” said Alcime.

According to race director, Mitch Varnes, participants were 77% female with 1,272 entrants total in the half-marathon and 10k combined from 23 states and four countries.

Alcime got into running 7 years ago with the dream to run a marathon. He completed five marathons and this was his first beach run. His enthusiasm for running has carried him to Fit2Run at the Florida Mall where he is a shoe salesman.

“Everybody has their own goals and that is what I like about running. There are different levels and types of running to choose from like beach running, track running, road running, and trail running. So you can do it for all reasons,” mentioned Alcime.

In beach running, runners run on a slant the whole time in wet or mushy sand, so it has an emphasis on hips and Achilles. The foot has longer ground contact time for each step.

“Two weeks ago was my birthday and my whole family came out to run on the track with me. That meant a lot and now I have them hooked on running,” added Alcime, also a running motivator.

Many studies have shown running elevates mood, improves sleep quality and concentration, builds bone density, defeats age-related mental decline, increases memory, boosts organizational skills and overall brain function, and enhances lung capacity and overall health. Taking up running just for the health benefits alone is a step in the right direction.

“’You Can Do It’ is the motto of the positive message for the physical and mental accomplishments you learn from Alicia Weber,” remarked Oney.

Learn More about Alicia Weber’s Youth Running Camps here.

Read more about race the USA Beach Running Championships here.

Contact Alicia for running camps at Awinningway@gmail.com

END OF REPORT

Varsity Archers Set Obstacle Relay World Record

By: Weber Way To Wellness Reporter

Three young ladies took on the challenge of training in a varsity dual archery-fitness advanced program and landed a world’s first ever obstacle archery relay record on November 11.

Danielle Siracusano, 13, Alexis Taylor, 16, and Morgan Hassell, 16, opted for archery and archercise (archery and exercise) for their fall archery program.

Alicia Weber created “archercise” and holds 17 official Record Setter World Records in various archercise events. Alicia Weber is the World’s Most Prolific Record Setter in Physical Fitness with over 500 records set since 2008.

The girls trained in a progressive six week program, which focused on cooperative learning, mental and physical conditioning, and advanced archery skills. All the archers had the opportunity to see how far they could grow in the program. They could strive for a level five varsity archery status. Siracusano, Taylor, Hassell, and Nick Linkiewicz were the only four archers to achieve level 5 status.

Determined Hassell picked up a bow and arrow for the first time and jumped from level one to the highest scorer in level 5 in a competition on November 8. She anchored the first ever obstacle archery relay and finished in 10 minutes flat. Their official record is published at Record Setter World Records.

The dynamic Taylor took her gun-shooting background and fast footwork from track and became an instant success in archery and archercise. She had the fastest leg in the relay with her time of 3:16.

Focused Siracusano has shown great leadership qualities ever since she blossomed as the number one female archer in a five day advancement camp this past summer. She led the relay and established the top archery score with her 36 points. The girls garnered a total of 84 points in archery, which are converted to 84 seconds taken off the final time bringing the final time to 8:36.

All the girls began the relay with a 200 yard dash. Then, without wasting anytime they whipped out 15 consecutive pushups. Immediately after that they each performed a different 10 yard multi-dimensional aerobic exercise. Finally, they grabbed a bow without any sighting devices. They had to shoot a quick descending ladder of distances from 50 yards to 10 yards (2 arrows per target).

“I want to do this again and work on improving my time,” said the motivated Hassell.

Emily Woodhouse, a spectator watching in amazement, commented, “It was fun to watch. As a runner, this sounds like so much fun. I hope to join the program this spring.”

“It was very interesting. A lot of young people will want to do this event,” said Meredith Johnson.

For more information in joining the varsity archery program and Central Florida archery contact Awinningway@gmail.com.

End of Report

Excited Archers Excell in an Advanced Archery Program with Alicia Weber

BY: Weber Way to Wellness Reporter

Picking up a bow and arrow for the first time and accurately shooting time and time again at long distance targets (without any sighting devices) is a reality for archers training under Alicia Weber.

From age 5-16, archers are excelling in their own ability levels. The past three weeks, varsity archers have been developing at an advanced pace to prepare for a challenging barebow archery competition. The archers need to be able to be focused and follow-through with proper form and bow-handling habits to have successful shots.

The young, determined archers keep rising to the challenges with fervor and zest.
A look at the recent Archery Champions from November 5 and October 29.

On November 5, the Purple Cookie Monsters (seen on the left of the picture) won a team contest against the Fiery Beasts. They shot various distances for speed and accuracy. The final score was 78-71.

On October 29, Nick Linkewicz, (seen on the right of the picture) captured the individual title in the “20yd-25yd Recurve-Compound Shoot” Contest. He won for most bullseyes.

The archers enthusiasm in training carries over into excelling in advanced archery skills.

“There is real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” – Norman Vincent Peale

END OF REPORT

Alicia Weber Archers Compete in Archery Contest

By: Weber Way to Wellness Reporter

Eight advanced archers from middle school to high school were excited for a challenge with newly learned archery skills. Just three weeks ago, some youth picked up a bow and arrow for the very first time. Others did archery before and were excited about the contest.

With three weeks of compound archery training and only one week of recurve bow training, the youth were psyched up for their first contest of many…”Weber Compound Recurve 15yd Contest.”

The Top three finishers in the alternative 15yd archery contest.

The goal was set to try and beat Alicia Weber’s recent high score of 36x for compound bow and 31 for recurve bow (67x total) or earn the highest score of the day among peers. They would shoot a total of 8 arrows at a 15yd target.

It was clear after round one that veteran archer and the overall female champion from summer 2014 advancement program, Danielle, was in the lead with her score of 32 for compound bow.

A cross country runner turned archer, Morgan, tied with a gun shooter turned archer, Parker, in the recurve competition. Morgan and Parker faced off for a tie breaker round only to tie again in the recurve competition. Morgan also tied Danielle’s compound bow score bringing a three-way face off round 3 to determine the winner.

The younger kids still learning the archery basics were inspired to watch the older kids face off in this contest testing barebow archery skills with two kinds of bows.

The competition heated up with round 3. The final overall score of the 8 arrows would determine the overall winner of the contest. The three archers were not fazed by the pressure and intensity of the round. They were focused and showed great follow-through and sportsmanship.

Danielle took 1st place with 30pts. Parker was in 2nd place with 27 pts. Morgan finished in 3rd place with 14pts.

END OF REPORT

Alicia Weber’s Tribute to Jack LaLanne on his 100th Birthday

By: Alicia Weber
Photos are copyrighted © Alicia Weber

Alicia Weber in September 2014 after setting 500 world records.
I have been setting physical fitness world records since 2008. Sports historians have referred to me as the Modern Day Jack LaLanne as a woman. This September 26, 2014, would be Jack LaLanne’s 100th birthday if he were alive.
He died in 2011 and will be remembered as “The Godfather of Fitness” after revolutionizing the health and fitness field. Just in time for his 100th birthday, I have now reached setting 500 world records, capturing 100 sport victories, and I completed what LaLanne considered to be his hardest strength feat of his career.

On August 13, I completed 1,000 pushups and 1,000 chin-ups in just over two hours as a tribute to LaLanne, one of my personal heroes. It was his hardest feat because his skin peeled off his hands.

I prepared for two years and I had no issues. In 107 days I set 100 exercise records up to one hour in duration, which is the world record.

LaLanne and I had different upbringings, but our careers run parallel. We were nonconformists who set our own standards. We were going to achieve our goals despite obstacles.

I grew up in Southwestern, PA, in a family of healthcare professionals where exercise and proper eating were instilled regularly, while LaLanne grew up weak and sickly from a junk food diet. His life changed at 15 when he heard a health lecture from pioneer Paul Bragg where he was “born again.”

I blossomed in middle school, while LaLanne blossomed in high school. I captured a dozen physical fitness records during middle school. I was off the charts in physical fitness and I competed with the boys for titles. These dozen middle school victories with my 88 overall career athletic wins covering 17 sports is where I get my 100 total victories to date.

“We have been friends since fifth grade,” said Karly Sammel, my classmate and long-time friend. “My first wow moment of Alicia was when I saw her do the flexed bar hang for a couple minutes in gym class. No one could do that. Then, people were making excuses so they would not need to compete against her.”

We had to go to stations and complete exercises in gym class. The boys would not let me on the pull-up bar so I pushed one off and did 35 consecutive pull-ups.
“I heard guys saying over and over ‘Oh my God’. The gym teachers’ eyes were popping out of their heads. The boy’s gym teacher grabbed her muscle and became more shocked,” continued Sammel.

It was like a dream. Nearly 100 students and faculty gathered to watch me compete against the boys in different events.

“Alicia surprised everybody. We watched her showdown the boys in a 600 yard dash. I just remember her blowing everybody away at everything,” recalled Sammel.

Everybody was talking about my athletics and my public speaking too. LaLanne developed into a motivational force and was a top public speaker and personality.

“Alicia demonstrated skills and competencies in writing and public speaking well beyond her chronological age. She presented an 8th grade career speech on marine biology that has been the most original, well-organized, and informative presentation I have encountered,” mentioned 8th grade English teacher, Karen Bucy.

By high school, LaLanne became a star football player and wrestler. He hid his bagged lunch of veggies and nuts, so no one would make fun of him.

I self-coached myself in track, triathlon, and cross country to a total of eight medals at National Championships.

“We were on swim team together our senior year. We had a losing streak and had a meeting to figure out what to do,” recalled Sammel. “Alicia just jumped up and started giving a motivational talk.”

The girl’s team began winning and kept winning. Five girls took top places at the State Championships.

“I think people needed her to inspire them to do their best,” expressed Sammel.
LaLanne went to college in San Francisco and earned a Chiropractic degree. He opened the nation’s first health and fitness club in Oakland, CA, in 1936, where he put fitness on the map.

I went to Duquesne University, then transferred to Florida. I earned a degree in Telecommunication, then pursued Biology, a doctorate in physical therapy, and became a licensed massage therapist. I held the first ever world record physical fitness day in Clermont on April 28, 2012.

I have guided seven athletes to world records in fitness and archery and all of us combined have set more than 400 records in Clermont giving the area international acclaim.

LaLanne set many “firsts.” Most notably, he had the first and longest running exercise show called “The Jack LaLanne Show.” He was the first person to perform strength and endurance feats. He was the first trainer to have both genders and all ages working with weights.

“Alicia breaks barriers,” mentioned Sammel.

I was the first woman to set and hold many strict form military exercises. Currently, I compete against men for titles at Recordsetter. I am the only woman inducted into the Official Pushup Hall of Fame. In May, all the branches of the US Military sought me out to provide guidance in preparing women to pass their pull-up test.

We inspire fitness in a fun way. LaLanne would sing, dance, and perform tricks with his dog. I perform fitness comedy. I have reached one million views on my 145 YouTube videos with this genre.

“The world needs more of Alicia to inspire them,” added Sammel.

END OF REPORT

Health Benefits of Archery and Central Florida Archery

By: Weber Way to Wellness Reporter

WINTER GARDEN, FL—- Ten year old Hannah picked up a bow and arrow for the first time and began archery under the tutelage of Alicia Weber. Like many youth, it’s the thrill of feeling like Robin Hood and the excitement of hitting the bullseye that draws them to archery. All ability and fitness levels can take a shot and find success even people with serious disabilities find great success.

Most sports are driven by adrenaline, high energy, sweat, and peak performance. Archery is a more settled sport where calmness, focus, controlled-energy, and stillness are keys to success as the goal is repeatedly hitting the bullseye. It offers a new refreshing spin to sport.

After Hannah’s first session, she exclaimed, “This is really exciting.”

She attentively listened to ways to improve and followed through. The result was achieving a high score for a 10 and under archer in just 3 sessions.

Hannah Competes at 10m and 15m for highest score. She achieves 131 pts out of a possible 300.

Like all sports, archery builds self-confidence, social skills, teamwork, and physical development. However, people unfamiliar with archery underestimate the health benefits.

Archery can develop upper-body strength, flexibility, balance/posture, core strength, hand-eye coordination, cardiovascular fitness, and mental focus.

Upper-Body
The upper-body strength is increased depending on the draw strength of the bow and the amount of time spent shooting. Serious archery competitors may have 40lbs resistance bows or more. Recreational archers may only use 10-20lbs resistance. Most upper-body muscles are involved in the shot process including the shoulder, chest, and the back. The arm must activate muscle stabilizers to hold the bow up and out till the arrow hits the target.

Flexibility
Flexibility is increased in the fingers, hands, and the arm to hold the bow and pull the string over and over again.

Balance/Posture
Learning the proper stance in archery and repeating it to perfection is an art. The archery stance varies if one is using a compound or recurve bow, but it is necessary for accuracy and precision. Archery can certainly help one’s posture and finding one’s center of balance. The slightest moves or wrong weight shifts will throw an arrow off the target.

Core Strength
The core muscles help balance the body shot after shot. The obliques and tight torso are key to a successful shot process.

Hand-Eye Coordination
Hand-Eye coordination is an essential skill for mastery in archery. This skill is developed through a lot of regular practice.

Cardiovascular Fitness
A recreational archer practicing at 7-10 yds may not notice these benefits as much as a competitive archer who may shoot anywhere from 40yds to 70 meters. The walking distance after shooting arrows and then collecting them adds up. In competitive archery, an archer may walk 5 miles in a competition. The competitions may last 3-4 hours or longer. Archery is a unique type of endurance especially adding in the factor that you are out in the heat for hours and trying to stay focused on top shots.

Mental Focus
Mental focus is imperative to success. This is the one element that makes archery really stand out from other sports. Archery is a mind exercise where distractions need to be eliminated to be successful. A keen eye, clear concentration, and mental stability are keys to top shots, shot after shot. Of course, calculating in your mind and keeping tabs on scores requires clear thinking as well.

Archery is a great sport to make a top student-athlete. The mental training from archery can be carried over into the classroom.

Are you in Central Florida and interested in archery? Are you looking for private lessons or would you like to join a club? If so, you came to the right place. You can get private training, attend camps, and join a club. Contact Alicia at Awinningway@gmail.com for more info.

END OF REPORT

Alicia Weber’s Archer Achieves Top Scores in Archery

By: Weber Way To Wellness Reporter

WINTER GARDEN, FL—- Alicia Weber’s student-archer has enjoyed a tremendously successful summer of archery, while making friends and finding her new talents in the process.

Danielle had a brother who practiced archery and she decided to give it a try in a summer archery advancement program held at her school with USA Archery instructor, Alicia Weber.

Danielle exclaimed, “I grew to love archery and found out I am pretty good.”

The goal of the archery advancement 5-day camp was to identify archery talent, hone skills, and challenge the archers in possibility thinking through mental and physical games.

Danielle commented, “It was pretty fun. The distance that we shot in the camp and the skills achieved in just 5 days were really impressive.”

Danielle was the overall female winner of the 21 Arrow Extreme Archery Competition on June 20, 2014, where she discovered archery was her niche. She continues to develop in Alicia Weber's Archery program.

Danielle ended her 5-day camp with many new friends and an overall victory for females in the “Extreme 21 Arrow Competition” where she scored the highest points.

Danielle added, “It’s really exciting to find out I won. I am a natural at archery. Just having fun is a big accomplishment too.”

Alicia Weber’s archery program is year-round with many unique opportunities to compete, develop fitness, learn archery, and make new friends. The archery club is open to the public from kindergarten age through grade 12.

Danielle celebrated her 13th birthday a few days early with a top archery score of 212xx out of 300 possible points.

All ability levels can excel at archery and give it a try. Archery is a physical and mental sport. Joining the archery club can teach patience, teamwork, social skills, and build self-esteem.

All the archery equipment is provided in the archery club.

Contact Alicia Weber for more info on the archery club and program at Awinningway@gmail.com

END OF REPORT

Orlando Florida Archery Coach breaks World Records

By: Weber Way to Wellness Reporter

ORLANDO, Florida —Alicia Weber has set over 20 archery fitness world records in 2013. In just three hours, Alicia has broken almost half of the records she set a year ago. Weber re-set 4 archery fitness world records in two hours on May 1. Then, she came back on May 6 and re-set 4 more, but in just one hour.

Alicia Weber is an Orlando Florida archery, running, and fitness coach. She works with all ages and ability levels.

Weber said, “I enjoy challenges and creativity. Juggling different disciplines and excelling in world records is exciting.”

In these records, she has to complete a running distance or an exercise followed by an archery bullseye for fastest time or highest score for most reps of an exercise and archery points within three minutes. She may shoot archery as far as 40yds without any sighting devices in these records.

Weber’s archery, running, and fitness clients remarked, “Alicia’s energy and enthusiasm are contagious and motivating.”

Alicia Weber is available for private training in archery, fitness, and running in Central Florida and she can be reached at Awinningway@gmail.com

Watch Alicia Weber Re-set the 8 Records In Three Hours

ALICIA WEBER is recognized as the “World’s Most Prolific Female Recordsetter” and she was one of 10 selected to be in the Most Extraordinary People of Lake County, October 2013 Issue of Lake-Sumter Style Magazine. Weber is the 7th person down in Extraordinary People List. Weber has set over 20 archery fitness world records at Recordsetter and she guided archery athletes to world records too.

END OF REPORT

Alicia Weber Takes 87th Victory and Guides Beginners in Archery and Fitness

By: Weber Way to Wellness Reporter

Alicia Weber knows how to get results. She holds the most world records in strength, speed, endurance, and archery and she is an elite athlete in 17 sports. Weber just captured her 87th career victory at the NTC Ultimate Series Cross Country Championship as she guided first time cross country runners.

Trainees described Alicia’s archery fitness training as “so much fun, but yet getting so many overall fitness results.”

Alicia Weber trained a mother and son in competitive archery and fitness focusing on running endurance.

She teaches the same techniques, which make her a champion.

Weber exclaimed, “I train with all my clients…run beside them, exercise with them, all while motivating them to be their best.”

Weber knocked off nearly a minute off her 4k time to win overall for women and take 7th overall in 15:57. Her trainees finished together in sub-29 for their first ever 4k cross country.

They exclaimed, “This is addicting. We love it. We look forward to more training and racing.”

Mother with Son, and Alicia Weber after finishing the NTC Ultimate Series 4k Cross Country Race on April 30, 2014. Alicia coaches running, archery, and 15 other sports.

ALICIA WEBER is recognized as the “World’s Most Prolific Female Recordsetter” and she was one of 10 selected to be in the Most Extraordinary People of Lake County, October 2013 Issue of Lake-Sumter Style Magazine. Weber is the 7th person down in Extraordinary People List. Weber has set over 20 archery fitness world records at Recordsetter and she guided archery athletes to world records too.

Alicia Weber is a running and archery coach in Central Florida and offers camps and clinics. Contact Alicia for archery, running, and fitness training at Awinningway@gmail.com

Join Alicia Weber’s Summer Camps and Year Round Archery Program

By: Weber Way to Wellness Reporter

The GOOD NEWS is that you DON’T have to attend the schools where Alicia Weber instructs archery to join the year round archery program and/or summer camps. Alicia Weber’s archery program is open to anyone from kindergarten through grade 12.

Alicia Weber’s Archery Training is about shooting to become the best you can be in archery and in life. The students have the opportunity to train under the tutelage of a Champion. Alicia Weber is a USA Archery Level 2 licensed instructor with more than a dozen archery-fitness world records and a silver medal from the 2014 Sunshine State Games for barebow archery.

Weber is recognized as the “World’s Most Prolific Female Recordsetter” and she was one of 10 selected to be in the Most Extraordinary People of Lake County, October Issue of Lake-Sumter Style Magazine. Weber is the 7th person down in Extraordinary People List. Weber has set over 20 archery fitness world records at Recordsetter and she guided archery athletes to world records too.

Contact Alicia Weber at Awinningway@gmail.com to join her archery programs.

Join Alicia Weber’s archery & GET ENERGIZED in the excitement!

Alicia Weber coaches athletes in intuitive archery with use of the recurve and compound bows. She is all about building strong competitors and advancing archers without using any sighting devices.

Weber exclaimed, “We are proud to be part of this one-of-a-kind program in Central Florida where kids get the opportunity to train and compete in archery.”

Recently, her archers shot 30 arrows for score. They competed at 10 and 15 meters.
Nick Linkiewicz took first place for grades 7-8. Linkiewicz commented, “The program was very well-organized, with excellent friendly coaches, and an overall great time.”

Preston Pankalla took first place for grades 3-6. Pankalla won for the first time and exclaimed, “Cool. This is great. I am more confident now.”

Sean Pankalla added, “Since Preston started archery, I have seen an improvement in his focus and his desire to do well in competition and this spills over into his personal life. As a parent that makes me proud. This program is fantastic.”

Carolyn Pankalla mentioned, “Archery gives my son a chance to win. We are all created equal, but archery teaches us how to win.”

Ben Shuler picked up a bow and arrow for the first time in this 6-week program and he met his goals.

His mother stated, “I love archery for the fact that you have a specific target where you aim. It’s a wonderful metaphor for life because if we aren’t focusing on our God-given resources specifically, then we wander and become aimless. With the Lord guiding us, we will achieve the specific purposes that he has for us in our life.”

The parents stated, “We love the structure of the program and the hope that we see for future advancements is really exciting.”
We are looking forward to the advancement programs and preparing archers for competition. Contact 352-874-4363 for info.