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Welcome to WEAK TO STRONG

Find Your Belonging Place

WEAK TO STRONG’S RECENT SEASONAL EVENT

Salt to Saint – Friday & Saturday, September 23-24, 2022

420+ Miles in 24 Hours… 

Full of Grit, Grind, & Good Times!

Beginning At Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, UT

Finishing In St. George,UT

A family friendly event focused on getting up, getting out, and getting after it!

Last year was a blast: Friends & riders new and old.  All had a GREAT time and are itching for more next year!  WILL YOU JOIN US?

Whatever you choose, this relay challenge (not race) promises to provide memories for a lifetime.  Consider it a relaxing yet butt-kicking experience that will have you on the cutting edge of your comfort zone while laughing, loving it, at times cursing it, but sure to want to come back for more!

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Click below to find out more

Link will take you to The Salt To Saint site for more information. We look forward to seeing you there!

SALT TO SAINT INFO & REGISTRATION

Hello & welcome

Quite simply, WEAK TO STRONG (W2S) reflects “A Tale of Two Brothers.”  Me – Trampas “Tj” Rowden, PhD, CMHC & my brother Tony Rowden, RN.  In 2016 when Tony was on the brink of joining the elite ’40 year-young’ club, he and I were reflecting on our combined experience of some 80 years and the kinds of moments & memories we most cherish.  Many difficult, some incredible, all folding into the men we are and are still becoming today.

When reflecting on these, we noticed how often the best of times came from the fertile ground of the worst of times – personally, in our marriages, families, friendships, jobs, etc.  And a theme emerged time and again that became the guts of W2S.  That is…

When we are weak, then are we strong; for from weakness comes strength!

For us – this experience is informed by faith.  And yet it is a theme we noticed as well in the lives of many other good people from various backgrounds & beliefs.  I have observed it in my 15+ years of experience in working with at-risk teens and families in the adolescent residential treatment industry.  Tony has witnessed it in emergency room and other medical settings in the lives of those he has helped.  Together, we have learned that however people go about it, they most often improve, change, grow and heal bit-by-bit.  And to do so, they often need to find a place of courage, a place to stand – their belonging place.

Spend a little more time here to find out more…

Tj & Tony Rowden

Projects & Progress

2020 – 2021 At a Glance:  What We’re doing

  • Finalizing W2S three tiered offering: emphasis on W2S Community Partner Test-Drives, Seasonal Events, and Family Excursions!
  • Identifying and initial collaboration with  W2S Community Partners.
  • Creating seasonal calendar of W2S Sponsored, Co-sponsored and/or Participant Events.   Emphasis on a variety of opportunities for youth and families that are experiential and cost-inclusive.

on the horizon:  yet to come

  • Finalize W2S Community Partnerships via information packets and tentative calendaring with each for W2S Test-Drive offerings early to mid 2021.
  • Identify 1-2 W2S Seasonal Events for remainder of 2021we will be sponsoring, co-sponsoring, and/or participating in and begin related marketing & support efforts for each, e.g. Salt to Saint and The Goliath Race
  • Collaborate with Aspect Adventure to plan and finalize first annual W2S Family Excursion (2021-2022).
  • Establish W2S YOUR Campaign and begin initial marketing and fundraising.
  • Identify final soft-goods partner and begin production of W2S Softgoods Line (i.e. hats, t-shirts, lanyards, wristbands, sweatshirts, stickers etc.) – mid 2021.
  • Begin vetting other potential W2S Personnel to assist with Social Media & Marketing efforts; Program, Product, & Service Development; Fund Raisin; and Leadership & Administrative Support.
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Monthly Test-Drives.

Come join W2S and one or more of our Community Partners for a Test Drive experience in one of a number of experiential activities.  From Crossfit to Cooking, Art to Equine, Yoga to… you get the picture.  We work with a number of local professionals who are as passionate about youth & families as we are and eager to give you a taste of what just might be your Belonging Place!

Drawing from our own personal and professional experience & the Whole Fit:  Wellness for Life model, we & our W2S Community Partners focus on monthly Test Drives that focus on the following four general areas.

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our ability to do has increased.”  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Heart: Creativity, Collaboration, & Career

These Heart Test-Drives will help you get in touch with YOUR creative side; and for some your emerging career side.   Giving you opportunities to explore & express yourself through various outlets  (i.e. art, music, food, etc.).  Work/job/independent living skills will also be part of some of these activities.  The whole time allowing you to work with W2S Community Partners committed to helping you discover and “let loose” of your unique creative potential – individually and with others!  Some might hesitate – “I can’t draw, paint, sing, write, cook” etc. they might say.  We’ve learned that this is simply not true.  Don’t believe us?  Come and find out.  See what you might tap into for yourself and with those who are committed to supporting you in a real-time, real-life experience of creating and giving something unique to the world!  As you do, it will become very clear that “can” or “can’t” are self-imposed limitations that simply cease to exist when you “go and do” instead of “sit and stew.”

Creativity takes courage!

~ Henri Matisse

It takes collaboration across a community to develop betters skills for better lives.

~ Jose Angel Gurria

Might: Body & Being

These Might Test-Drives will give you experience with all things physical (Body) & emotional (Being).  After all, your body (physical self) interacts with the world outside & around you.  Your being (emotional self) really experiences it.  Combined, your body & being serve as your primary means by which you experience everything – every day.  No.  Matter.  What.   Our W2S Community Partners are committed to providing you opportunities to get in your body and to challenge it, work it, feed it, strengthen it, rest it, love it, and care for it.  And your emotions will give you some sense of how you’re doing in those efforts.  We believe that through these activities you will increase your appetite for improving your appreciation, confidence, and competence in your body & being – in short, yourself.  So come “test-drive” your personal drive to do and be better physically & emotionally.  You’ll be glad you did!

I believe that fitness needs to come from within you.  You need to respect your body.  Only then will you have the zeal to maintain it.

~ Arjun Rampal

Joy becomes inevitable when we are willing to submit to what it requires.

~ Doug Ratelle

Mind: Thinking, Motivation, Mindfulness

We are inevitably thinking as well as feeling critters.  And today, it seems everyone has an opinion on the pros & cons of thinking too much or too little.  Furthermore, there are even mixed views on how motivation is helpful or harmful when it comes to attempts to develop or strengthen it.  Mindfulness refers to our ability to become more aware of and present with ourselves, others, and the moments we are in – when we are in them.  These Test-Drives are meant to provide you with opportunities to (1) stretch & grow intellectually, (2) practice motivation in a way that doesn’t leave you feeling cheated when at times it seems to slip, and (3) get really good at “being here now!”  Sound simple?  Come find out how our W2S Community Partners can help you see where your strengths and weak spots are in these areas through enjoyable, “chill” activities meant to stretch the brain, quiet the mind, improve problem-solving & compassion (especially toward self), and help you learn how to use mindfulness to experience a mind that is full… less!

Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.

~ Marcus Arelius

I’m doing my best to be mindful abut how I’m living:  to be kind and patient, and not to impose a bad mood on somebody else.

~ Deirdre O’Kane

Strength: Resilience, Relationships, & Community

Not to be confused with might, STRENGTH is found in two things:  first, when we personally demonstrate “might” over time and through opposition & at times even failure.  Perhaps especially during these times.  Some call this GRIT.  Second, when mighty individuals also recognize that we are strongest when supported by and supporting others in the trenches of daily living!  So – when you join with W2S Community Partners in these Test Drives , expect the focus to be on helping you experience how our “whole” truly is greater than the some of our “parts.”  That what we might do personally is often made “mo betta” when we do it together.  And that what we are capable of achieving & giving together is only limited by our willingness to  really become a part of something bigger than ourselves and give our all to it!  Whether through team building, faith communities, our relationship with others and/or our Higher Power, strength is found in the partnership between I and YOU… with the “and” being where the magic happens.  So – don’t be shy, come – bring your heart, might, and mind to combine in the strength found with others committed to improving self, relationship, & community and having a down-right great time in doing so!

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.

~ Coretta Scott King

Want to get involved?

Although we are still in early development of areas noted above, we are excited to hear from like-minded individuals who are all about youth & families, creative collaboration, and getting back-in-yo’-body experiences that help get teens and their loved ones excited about life!  Reach out if you’re interested and let’s see about making some magic happen!

Contact Us

Mental Health & Clinical Services.

As noted elsewhere on the site, Tj Rowden is our friendly neighborhood Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CMHC) licensed here in UT and is the Owner/Clinical Director of the Syracuse Center for Couples and Families, located in Syracuse, UT.

If you find yourself looking for personal, marital, and/or youth & family support beyond the experiential opportunities offered by W2S, please don’t hesitate to click on the link above to find out more.   The teaser?

From the SCCF website:

“Your Syracuse, Utah experts on YOUTH, COUPLES, & FAMILY counseling and therapy services! We gladly welcome and provide such services for families from Syracuse, Clearfield, Clinton, WestPoint, Roy, Hooper and other surrounding areas in Davis County Utah!”

Individuals

• Depression
• ADHD/ADD
• Anxiety
• Trauma
• Addiction
• Grief & Bereavement

Couples

• Pre-marital Counseling
• Marital Distress
• Divorce
• Infidelity
• Communication Enhancement
• Conflict Transformation

Family

• Blended Families
• Parenting
• Family of Origin Issues
• Teen Issues
• Disruptive Behaviors
• Mediation

Life, Work, Health, & Wellness

• Life Enhancement
• Executive & Business
• Health & Wellness
• Life-work Balance
• Stress management
• Workplace Relationships

Mindfulness & Meditation…

At the core or ground floor of many efforts today to improve the overall well-being of individuals, couples, & families, you simply cannot underestimate the impact of basic mindfulness & meditations practices.

In an age where digital distractions, depression, and anxiety are at all time highs – especially for today’s youth – we support efforts to get people away from vices & devices, back in their bodies, and reconnecting with themselves and their natural strengths & resources.  Contact us if you’d like to find out more…

Want to Find Out More

If you feel like you personally or someone you love is in need of more than what Weak To Strong offers through our tiers of youth and family involvement, please…  Don’t hesitate to reach out and find out more through Tj & the Syracuse Center for Couples and Families to see how we might assist you!

Contact Us

Want to get involved?

Although we are still in early development of areas noted above, we are excited to hear from like-minded individuals who are all about youth & families, creative collaboration, and getting back-in-yo’-body experiences that help get teens and their loved ones excited about life!  Reach out if you’re interested and let’s see about making some magic happen!

Contact Us