6th grader Somali girl from Minneapolis’s Cedar Riverside becomes ambassador for Fuel Up to Play 60

A Cedar Riverside Community School sixth-grader was selected as one of 67 students to serve as a state ambassador for Fuel Up to Play 60.

That’s an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Dairy Council and NFL. Samira Barqadtimir, 11, is an ambassador for the group and speaks to gym teachers across the state about ways to make healthy changes. For example, with the help of her adviser, Jennifer Webber, Samira wrote a grant. The money, about $8,000, purchased playground and sports equipment for students at Cedar.

The program encourages students to eat healthy, be active and make positive, healthy changes in their schools and communities.

Samira said she changed her eating habits last year after a warning from doctors. She said her doctor was surprised when he realized she lost 25 pounds in one year. On Saturday, she participated in the 10K Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon.

“I used to drink a lot of pop and eat junk food,” she said. “He came in the room and said, ‘Wow, you lost 25 pounds in one year.’ He was so happy and my mom was in tears and it was a lot.”

Weber, an administer with the school, said the program has been a tremendous help.

“It gave us another opportunity to find more ways to get healthy foods into our kids during the school day and create healthy habits,” Weber said.

Samira will speak to a group of teachers later this month during a summit.

allthingssomali.com