Des Moines Moms Blog recognizes that moms wear a lot of hats. You are a mom, wife, friend, diaper changer, nose wiper, meal planner, lost toy finder, the list goes on and on!
This summer we are thrilled to feature some local moms who are thinking outside the box and making a difference in our community through the businesses they own, organizations they are involved with, and work they do. Check out the rest of the series and read profiles from previous years here.
Daira Driftmier is passionate about family and fitness. She combines these passions through her work with Hy-Vee KidsFit, a program designed to inspire kids to make healthy choices.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
My name is Daira. I grew up in a small town in Sully, IA. I graduated from Central College in Pella, IA. My husband, Clint and I live in Norwalk, IA. We have 3 kids and 2 dogs. Our son, Kyler (6) just finished Kindergarten, our daughter, Diem Lee (3) will start Pre-K next year and we just had a little boy, Dace, in June. As a family, we love going on adventures to the zoo or checking out new parks. My downtime, I love staying active with running solo, Crossfit with friends, traveling, shopping, and being outside as much as possible.
What do you consider the biggest challenge of motherhood to be? Biggest joy?
The biggest challenge as a mother is working and balancing my time. My work requires travel and sometimes and it can be hard on my kids and husband. The biggest joy is seeing our kids learn, problem solve and building independence (also hard). Although nothing makes me happier than to cuddle with my kiddos.
What inspired you to work with kids and fitness? Was it something you always wanted to do?
As a kid, I had a negative feeling towards running and moving in general. In elementary school, I was teased with one comment that sticks out in my head the most. After running the mile in 5th grade, I was proud of my 10: 45-second mile when a boy says, “only fat kids run over a 10-minute mile.” Little did I know after a 6th-grade physical, I had a serious heart problem. I had surgery the next week. I grew up loving my Cardiologist and I thought I would be a doctor someday.
Running and moving became easier for me and I played every sport growing up. I continued in college, playing basketball until I got hurt. It was horrible to me. It was that experience that led me into a career path of preventative health. I looked at physical therapy and strength and conditioning, but what I loved the most was working and helping ordinary people add movement to their life. I became a successful personal trainer.
Success as a trainer to me means, my clients saw improvement in their health but also their outlook on exercise/movement changed to something they could enjoy. Clients who had families soon started to send their kids to me so they can have a positive experience with movement.
I was blessed to have someone see me working with kids and challenging me if I could come up with a way to impact MORE kids in this positive way. That’s when I sold my business and never looked back to join the Hy-Vee Team and created Hy-Vee KidsFit. My focus is to help improve the positive experiences with movement when we are young through schools but also for parents who want to help break the cycle for their kids.
What’s the best part about your job?
The letters from kids and teachers are what helps refuel my passion but ultimately I love to see the “light bulb turn on.” I get to inspire kids to try their best and that everyone’s “best” can look different. How we get better is by trying our personal best and encouraging the people around us, our friends and family. All these resources are FREE for kids and families. As a parent myself, I love giving parents these tools to implement conversations at home through our monthly newsletter for the Hy-Vee KidsFit Club.
Also – I get to meet other passionate people in 8-states! It is truly inspiring the work people are doing to make sure kids are taken care of. Because every kid does not have someone giving them these messages and problem-solving skills.
What’s the hardest part about your job?
Personally, the hardest part is in the Fall and Spring being gone 1-2 nights per week from my family. Professionally, the hardest part is seeing how much kids need help. Not every kid has an engaged parent/guardian. There are some really tough situations in communities and that’s why I love to meet other passionate people in the community who are doing so many continued efforts to help these kids.
What advice do you have for moms who want to chase a dream?
Life is filled with opportunities. When you make a choice, put your heart into it. Take the steps and ask for help because you deserve it. Surround yourself with people who support your dream. I was scared to go “corporate” after being self-employed, being my own boss for 10 years. Ultimately, I am glad I made the leap. I could never have made the switch without the support from friends and family.
Why do you call Des Moines home?
I usually say, “Home is where your mom is.” Now as a mom myself, home is where my family is safe and supported. I love the people in Des Moines and I feel challenged, appreciated and loved here.
Des Moines Favorites
Favorite spot for a date night: Twilight Couples Golf anywhere with friends and my husband.
Best place to take kids: We love Raccoon River. Exploring the edges makes for a great adventure.
Favorite summer activity: Swimming and biking (if it’s not too hot!)
If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Arizona or Colorado
What’s the last show you watched, thing you listened to, or book you read? American Ninja Warrior, Greater by Mercy Me and GRIT by Angela Duckworth.
How/where do you relax? Shopping, getting my nails done, or dinner out with my girlfriends.
If your life had a hashtag, what would it be? #DestrominateTheDay – I feel like I must explain. This is a word I have used for 10+ years as part of training clients. It is a combination of two words, Destroy and Dominate. It started by me saying casually to clients “dominate your day” instead of “have a great day.” It made my clients smile as they left their training sessions. I wanted them to feel powerful and confident with their decisions after they left the gym. Moving is such a small percentage of your day and it’s the other 90% of the day that will help make you happier and healthier. Smiling is just as important for your health than eating more broccoli or running a mile. Of course #hyveekidsfit #challengeaccepted for obvious reasons.
Know a Des Moines mom we should feature? Let us know! Email [email protected] with details and we will be in touch.
