Michele Blevins, an Administrative Assistant and 18 year employee of Zirkle Fruit/Rainier Fruit knows first-hand what it means to fall down and get up again.
It was nearly one year ago that Michele had what seemed like a normal fall while retrieving wood from the garage. What her and her family quickly realized was that this fall was anything but normal and the resulting injury was very serious. In fact, so serious that what looked like a bad bruise actually became a very serious case of cellulitis, a serious skin infection that risked the use and health of her leg. Over the next 6 weeks and during the months to come, Michele underwent numerous procedures, wore a battery operated wound vac and even had a portable IV for three weeks.
“I’ve worked at this company for 18 years, and the fact that it’s a family of supportive employees has always been what I enjoyed most. That became even more evident to me in the weeks and months after my accident when many people stepped in to help with my daily needs of just getting around.”
It wasn’t just the injury that was a wakeup call to Michele. Because of the serious nature of Michele’s injury, and the fact that she was overweight, her doctors repeatedly asked her if she was diabetic as they worried about complications that can potentially be associated with diabetic wound care.
“I realized that even though I wasn’t ‘pre-diabetic’, I was on an unhealthy path, and even a simple injury could change my life. I decided I needed to do something to be healthier and lose weight. I needed to set goals and learn how to achieve them and not only lose the weight but maintain the weight loss.”
And that’s exactly what Michele has done. From walking 5K’s and doing obstacle courses to starting to train to run her first 5K Michele has embraced the company mission of Wholesome to the Core and their new #RunWithRainier program.
A lifelong resident of the region, Michele’s family were homesteaders to the Valley and she was raised on Chinook Pass. The mountains and the valleys have been her playground and fostered her love of fishing and camping. Today Michele feels blessed to still live close to her children and spend time with her granddaughter and pass along her love for the outdoors and make sure she is a role model for healthy living.
We haven’t managed to survive in business for over 100+ years without our share of falls. It’s the spirit of our employees like Michele that have propelled us forward and helped us innovate, change and grow. Michele is just one of our many employees that is the heart and soul of our mission Wholesome To The Core. Stay tuned for updates on Michele’s progress including her weight loss and her goals to run some of her first races.