Women Today

The latest issue of Women magazine is out and features "Good Day Wisconsin" anchor Rachel Manek.

Manek talks about how her family is fighting the battle against heart disease, and how she's running for her heart:

By the time she crossed the finish line, Rachel Manek was sobbing.
It had been stressful thinking about the Chicago Triathlon, getting to the downtown course and navigating the crowd of thousands. Stress turned to a joyful sense of accomplishment, however, as she ran those final steps.
“I said, ‘I have to do this again. This is awesome,’” she recalls.
Triathlons offer Manek more than a chance to compete in a sporting event. They also help the Channel 11 morning show anchor win another battle: the fight against her family’s history of heart disease.
Making time for exercise
Two weeks before Manek started a reporting job with FOX 11 in Green Bay, her father died of a heart attack. She recognizes some of the lifestyle factors that contributed (smoking, not exercising and long hours at a stressful job) and is doing her best to keep her life on a heart-healthy course.
“I try to stay active,” she says. “We love to eat so we counter that by staying active. I don’t smoke, never have, and I’m probably more active now than I was in my 20s.”
Manek, who pulls an early morning broadcasting shift as an anchor of “Good Day Wisconsin,” squeezes in up to an hour of exercise after her work day ends at noon and before she picks up her 1-year-old daughter.
She says she’s “not a super worker-outer,” but finds more time for exercise when she’s gearing up for a triathlon. She competes in the sprint event, which involves a 750 meter swim, 20 kilometer bike ride and 5 kilometer run.

For more, pick up a copy of Women magazine at area Tom's Drive-Ins, McDonald's Restaurants or Festival Food stores.