Best of You, Journey to Healthier Joints: Meet John

Meet John Faria | Team Captain | Team Oklahoma Hemophilia Foundation

My name is John Faria and I am a big fan and proponent of HFA and the Blood Brotherhood program! I’ve had the pleasure of being Oklahoma Hemophilia Foundation’s Men’s Committee Lead until this past November, where I am hanging up the reigns after more than five years of activity with the wonderful men of our local community. It’s not all bad news, though: I’ll continue working with the hemophilia community focusing on improving community relations, advocating for mental health awareness (and resources!), alternate pain management programs, and continuing to build fellowship with Blood Brothers across the nation!
My 9-to-5 includes a busy career in enterprise solutions technology where I assist companies of all sizes implement and gain value in global logistics and transportation systems. Being a technology expert allows me flexibility in time management as well as the opportunity to travel all over! In my spare time, I spend time with my wonderful family of Stephanie, my wife of more than 10 years, Isabella, my eccentric 10-year-old daughter, and Elijah, my feisty 3-year-old son, who broke his Magic Trax racer while I was writing this tonight.
The men in the local community have had conversations around physical fitness for quite some time and we were all very excited to participate in the HFA Journey to Healthier Joints! I’ve been consistently tested each day to hit the 6,000 steps due to a nagging and painful sciatica that began right before the start of our activity challenge. I’ve been in physical therapy throughout the entire challenge. While that may sound like a drag, I am fortunate that physical therapy has helped not only improve my sciatica, but promote the steps needed for a healthier lifestyle.
Planning my activities for the challenge also encouraged me to sign-up at the local YMCA. My whole family as seen the benefits of the facility here in Edmond, Okla. Swim lessons on Saturdays! More telling is the fact that I’ve lost roughly 50 lbs. since April of this year. Being involved in the OHF community and taking on the HFA Joint Health challenge has significantly contributed to my continued health and wellness goals.
 
HFA’s Best of You: Your Journey to Healthier Joints is a member organization-led health challenge to understand and improve joint health in adult men. Watch our social media channels and HFA News on our website for updates. 
Your Journey to Healthier Joints Activity Challenge is supported by Cooperative Agreement Number NU27 DD001151-05, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.