Meet the Champions

The Daily Mile Champions are superheroes responsible for helping to spread the word about The Daily Mile and its benefits for children, teachers, schools, families, and the community. Contact The Daily Mile today to see how you can join the movement to keep kids healthy and become part of this amazing team!

Read On.
Meet the Champions
Castillopic

Gabriela Castillo

SUPERPOWER

1st Grade Teacher

CITY

Warrenville

STATE

IL

SUPERPOWER SUMMARY

Gabriela is a first-grade teacher with a passion for helping students grow academically and socially. She also ensures her students have a sense of belonging in their school community. Gabriela has been teaching at the elementary level for more than 20 years. She is married with two young adult children. She recently started exercising to improve her overall health. Gabriela found that exercise has many benefits, but the most profound is mental health. Walking and running are a way to relieve stress, stay active, meet other people, and set/achieve goals. She wants to help her students to discover a passion for something.

MeMe Ratliff

MeMe Ratliff

SUPERPOWER

Connecting educators to one another and resources

CITY

Louisville

STATE

KY

SUPERPOWER SUMMARY

MeMe Ratliff is the health & physical education (HPE) instructional lead for Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS). She has twenty years of experience in elementary physical education as well as three years as the teacher engagement specialist for her district before taking over as the HPE lead in fall 2019. She strives to create multiple pathways for members of the JCPSHPE family to grow their practice, develop leadership skills, share resources, and create stronger instruction.

A former member of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Teacher Advisory Council and a Hope Street Teacher Fellow, MeMe embraces the power of connections and collaboration to strengthen the profession. An early adopter of social media for pedagogy, she believes that a professional learning network that inspires and pushes one to continually grow is as important as the professional learning community in a school or district.

Megaera

Megaera Regan

SUPERPOWER

Showing magic & joy in physical activity

CITY

Guilford

STATE

CT

SUPERPOWER SUMMARY

Megaera is the 2020 SHAPE America E.D. Elementary PE Teacher of the Year. She was also the 2018 NYSAHPERD Elementary PE TOY. Megaera is a strong believer in the Mind/Body Connection. She is a advocate for Free play and embracer of meaningful PE. Megaera is retired and starting new adventures including being a Champion for The Daily Mile!

Heather Davis-Kohli

SUPERPOWER

Helping kids reach their goals!

CITY

Lima

STATE

OH

SUPERPOWER SUMMARY

Heather is a Daily Mile Champion for the Shawnee School District (Lima, Ohio). She's 40 years old and has two children. Having worked in education for 15 years, Health has found her passion for helping kids real their goals. She enjoyed teaching and living a healthy and active lifestyle. Heather loves running, hiking, and swimming. She even started a running club at her school! She is an active member of a youth wellness committee in the district that focuses on getting our youth active.

Amy Bantham

Amy Bantham

SUPERPOWER

Doctor of Public Health

CITY

Boston

STATE

MA

SUPERPOWER SUMMARY

Dr. Bantham is the CEO/Founder of Move to Live®More, a research and consulting firm addressing physical inactivity, chronic disease, and social determinants of health through cross-sectoral collaboration and innovation. She is a Doctor of Public Health, a certified health coach, and an exercise professional with a mission to help people live healthier, longer, more active lives. She advocates for physical activity in schools as a District Wellness Committee member.

Lynn Schorn

Lynn Schorn

SUPERPOWER

Physical Therapist

STATE

WA

SUPERPOWER SUMMARY

As a Physical Therapist for 39 years, I prescribe movement for health and well-being. We have scientific evidence that movement increases mental function by increasing oxygenation to the entire body, including the brain. Exercise and movement increases productivity in every work place. It used to be routine, that children participated in P.E. (physical education) as part of a regular school day curriculum. Somehow, that has decreased throughout the United States… and now we have more and more challenges with childhood obesity, depression, suicide, and behavioral classroom challenges.

What if … participating in walking, jogging or running a Daily Mile could and will reverse these crises among our youth? Wouldn’t that be a simple solution? I am ‘all in’ on this one. Let’s get our youth moving!