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DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 | $4.95
Dominique
Dawes
Making gymnastics
fun again
plus
SURPRISING
HEALTH BENEFITS
OF LAUGHTER
MOTIVATIONS
BEHIND
PHILANTHROPY
WINTER SKIN
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contents }
DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 | ISSUE NO. 118
in every issue
6 Editor’s Letter » 44 Tastes of Montgomery » 45 Then & Now
features
26 LAUGHTER,
PHOTO BY DAVID STUCK
THE BEST MEDICINE
Improve your physical, emotional
and mental health by adding some
humor to your day.
BY LAURA BRZYSKI
30 OVERCOMING
THE CHALLENGES OF
ADULT ADHD
Impulsive? Inattentive? You may
have attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder.
BY DAVID MARK
38 BIRDS OF THE
C&O CANAL WHY WE GIVE
34
Keep your eyes on the sky (and trees Local philanthropists, including Craig and Pat Ruppert and
and water) as you stroll along the their oldest daughter, Sophie Felts, share what motivates
C&O Canal towpath. them to give back to the community.
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY MICHAEL KIRCHER
BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN
On the cover: Dominique Dawes. Photo by David Stuck
4 DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 | MONTGOMERY MAGAZINE
departments
DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 | ISSUE NO. 118
25
18
ASKMENOW/DIGITALVISION VECTORS/GETTY IMAGES
PHOTO BY DAVID STUCK
PEOPLE + PLACES
12 Guide
13 Bookshelf
14 Arts
16 Getaway
18 Spotlight
20 Giving Back
21 Q&A
WELL + BEING
25 Expert
FOOD + DRINK
42 Table Talk
43 Make This
43
+ Editor’s letter
Montgomery
LAUGH IT OFF CEO/PUBLISHER
Craig Burke
cburke@midatlanticmedia.com
MAGAZINE
PRENTON RP ULTRA CONDENSED AND PRENTON LIGHT
When was the last time you had a EDITOR
good laugh? I’m talking about a laugh PJ Feinstein
pfeinstein@midatlanticmedia.com
that had you clutching your belly and
wiping tears from your eyes. If you’re DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION
Jennifer Perkins-Frantz
still trying to remember, it’s probably jperkinsfrantz@midatlanticmedia.com
been too long. And that’s a shame
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING &
because laughter, it turns out, does CUSTOM MEDIA
a body good. Jeni Mann Tough
jmann@midatlanticmedia.com
In this issue, writer Laura Brzyski uncovers
the surprising health benefits of laughter— EDITORIAL
Michael Vyskocil, Managing Editor
and how we can get in more giggles and
Katie Beecher, Staff Writer
guffaws in our everyday lives. It’s been hard
CONTRIBUTORS
to feel lighthearted in 2020, but if we can all
Laura Brzyski, Steve Goldstein, Barbara Noe
learn to laugh a little more, we’ll be better Kennedy, David Mark, Barbara Ruben
PJ FEINSTEIN able to deal with the not-so-funny parts of
Editor INTERNS
our day.
Michelle Aguirre, Ceoli Jacoby,
Our health and fitness issue also explores Sharmilee Rahman
the challenges faced by adults with ADHD,
CREATIVE
and Montgomery County Public Libraries Sherley Taliaferro, Art Director
is back with book recommendations to help Steve Burke, Graphic Designer
you feel your best in the New Year. We David Stuck, Contributing Photographer
talk to Bruce Adams about his decision to ADVERTISING
relaunch Bethesda Community Base Ball Kim Coates Schofield,
Club and to Dominique Dawes about her Mary Ramsdale, Stacie Shapero,
Sylvia Witachek
new gymnastics academy in Clarksburg.
The Olympic gold medalist, who grew up SUBSCRIPTIONS
Go to montgomerymag.com to subscribe
in Montgomery County, is on a mission to
for free or to view a digital edition. Back issues
create a safe and nurturing environment for are available for $7 each. Editorial reprints are
young gymnasts. also available.
+ NEED TO REACH US? After a long, stressful year, I hope you are MONTGOMERY MAGAZINE
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pfeinstein@midatlanticmedia.com. We may all be celebrating differently this Rockville, MD 20852
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you back here in 2021! a year by Mid-Atlantic Media
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6 DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 | MONTGOMERY MAGAZINE
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JOHNNY LAURA BRZYSKI | WRITER
HOLLIDAY
A VOICE FOR THE PEOPL
E
Lily Qi Laughter, the Best Medicine
PLUS:
The Ultimate
plus
How Will
Restaurants Laura Brzyski is a writing professor,
Cookout
Survive
Adapting
to COVID-19
MCPS TEACH
BLACK ARTIS
ER
OF THE YEAR
TS
SHARE THEIR
Covid-19?
EDWARD REAVIS AND OTHER CHEFS plus freelance journalist and private tutor. Her
DISH UP THE DETAILS
stories about health, fitness and wellness
CREATIVE PROC NEW COOKBOOKS
ESS
COUNCILMEMBER
COVID-19
WILL JAWANDO
REENTRY
ANXIETY DIY CHARCUTERIE
can be found in Philadelphia magazine,
BOARD
where she served as Be Well Philly’s digital
SUBSCRIBE AT contributor. Her creative writing has been
MONTGOMERYMAG.COM/3-YEAR-FREE-SUBSCRIPTION published in Pithead Chapel, Gigantic Sequins
OR CALL 301-230-2222, EXT. 1 and Entropy, among others. She holds an
M.F.A in creative writing from Rutgers
University-Camden and an M.A. in En-
glish literature from Lehigh University. She
montgomerymag.com lives in Philadelphia (not a suburb of) with
her husband and their dog, Bogey.
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y,
Heart Health t,
m en
Self-Improve nts BARBARA NOE KENNEDY | WRITER
a u ra
Camps, Rest Walking in a Winter Wonderland
and mo re!
Barbara Noe Kennedy left her longtime
position as senior editor of National
Geographic Travel Publishing in 2015
to delve into the freelance travel writing
world. She writes about destinations, art,
food and drink, culture, history and social
justice. Her work has appeared in Fodor’s
TOP: CHRISTIAN BETLYON, BOTTOM: LIFETOUCH
Travel, Lonely Planet, Los Angeles Times,
Washington Post, BBC Travel, Outside
MONTGOMERYMAG.COM
CALL NOW TO magazine, AFAR, TripSavvy.com and
National Geographic, among others. She also
Print | Digital ADVERTISE! teaches online writing classes. She lives with
301-230-2222, ext. 4 or her husband, David, in Arlington, Virginia,
advertising@montgomerymag.com where she enjoys running and biking its trails
and plotting her next (post-COVID-19) trip.
8 DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 | MONTGOMERY MAGAZINE
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PEOPLE + PLACES GUIDE 12 » BOOKSHELF 13 » ARTS 14 » GETAWAY 16 » SPOTLIGHT 18 » GIVING BACK 20 » Q&A 21 10 MONTGOMERYMAG.COM
ILLUMINATING THE Experience the wonder of 3 ½ miles of winter light displays at
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MONTGOMERYMAG.COM 11PEOPLE + PLACES/ guide
PROVIDED BY CITY BONFIRES
FIRED UP
Rockville neighbors find purpose during the pandemic
making and selling mini bonfires
BY CEOLI JACOBY
Chris McCasland was one of the mini fire pits themselves using American- and Opalski have filled more than 5,000
nearly 500,000 Americans who lost a job made materials. Roughly the size of a roll of orders. They have relied on a mixture of
in the leisure and hospitality industry duct tape, each metal tin is filled with soy social media advertising and good-old-
in March as stay-at-home orders spread wax that burns for up to four hours. It can fashioned word-of-mouth to get their
throughout the country. A live enter- easily be extinguished with the lid and re-lit business off the ground. This approach
tainment industry broker, the Rockville until it has been used up. seems to be working. Opalski says that the
resident realized he’d have to get creative City Bonfires are also eco-friendly: the small business has recently gone interna-
to make up for his lost income. product is made with recycled wax that tional after filling several orders in Canada.
Quarantining with his wife and kids, produces much less soot than a wood fire, Many customers are also purchasing
McCasland took an interest in e-commerce meaning no smoky smell and lower carbon
City Bonfires in bulk, says McCasland.
and began brainstorming ideas for new emissions. The paper briquettes inside are
Their small size appeals to realtors, college
products. He landed on a portable and re- post-consumer, too. And because there are
recruiters and anyone else whose job
usable fire pit but needed someone to help no embers, they’re safe to light in locations
requires them to hand out goodies
design it. McCasland shared his plan with where traditional wood fires are not, such
en-masse for the sake of salesmanship.
Michael Opalski, a neighborhood dad who as screened-in porches.
also lost his job to COVID-19, and City The idea of a portable fire pit was con- If their success continues, the pair says
Bonfires was born. ceived with family marshmallow roasts in that they intend to make City Bonfires their
“That’s the best part of our story,” says mind; Opalski says he cannot recall one full-time jobs even after the pandemic.
McCasland, who is also a co-owner of instance during the product’s development “If you had asked us two to three months
Quincy’s South in Rockville and Quincy’s when his and McCasland’s kids missed out ago if this had any potential at all, we
Potomac. “Michael was on the road three or on a chance to make s’mores. City Bonfires wouldn’t have even thought about it,” says
four days so we barely even knew him prior even sells a four-person s’mores kit on its Opalski. “But this thing has legs, it’s fun,
to the pandemic.” website (citybonfires.com). and if people enjoy it, we’ll keep trying to
The pair quickly got to work, making the Since launching in August, McCasland make it and make it better.” MM
12 DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 | MONTGOMERY MAGAZINEPEOPLE + PLACES/ bookshelf
NEW YEAR, NEW YOUBY ALAN HECHT, LIBRARIAN I, WHITE OAK LIBRARY
FACT: We all want to feel better, perform better and—if possible—look fabulous
while doing it. That is why books and other media having to do with health, fitness
and diet are perennial favorites wherever they are sold, borrowed or otherwise
change hands. Add to that the pandemic, giving many of us time and motivation to
reassess our patterns and habits.
As always, Montgomery County Public Libraries has your back, making available
the best and most up-to-date information to become your healthiest self.
The Healthy Deviant Keto for Life: Reset Your Biological The Core 4: Embrace Your Body,
BY PILAR GERASIMO Clock in 21 Days and Optimize Own Your Power
Your Diet for Longevity BY STEPH GAUDREAU
“The Healthy Deviant” suggests that
BY MARK SISSON
many of the norms we accept in “The Core 4” is intended for women
regard to health and fitness are The Keto diet—high fat, moderate and aims at de-emphasizing weight
counterproductive and that “if you protein, low or no carbs—is a pretty as a measure of health and personal
are not breaking the rules, you are daunting proposition. That said, you may worth. It emphasizes consumption
probably breaking yourself.” Obviously, have been cautiously curious about it. If of nutrient-rich foods with a heavy
this is not merely another book about so, this book by Mark Sisson (one of the focus on fats and proteins (a look at
how to achieve a six-pack. It is more earliest promoters of the Keto move- the author bio reveals that she is a
about changing one’s life in ways that ment) is a good place to satisfy that promoter of the paleo philosophy—
may—well—deviate from conven- curiosity. Even if the reader is not going and it shows) and strength training
tional ideas about achieving health to go full Keto, some of the recipes as the basis of fitness. The strength
and fitness. While this sounds like (which constitute nearly a third of the training, as seen in the “Move with
work, one can probably find some book) look delicious. Also, it is hard to Intention” section of the book, is
aspect(s) of the Healthy Deviant argue with fewer carbs, less processed quite serious. As the author states,
program that will improve one’s life. food and more movement incorporated there are no one-pound pink dumb-
The engaging and relatable writing in one’s life. Additionally, Sisson bells to be found in these pages. On
style will make you want to at least emphasizes the importance of mental the contrary; the program stresses
consider giving it a try. flexibility and resilience in healthy aging training of large muscle groups with
as well as rest and recovery, both known heavy weights and exercises such as
to be crucial to long-term well-being. deadlifts. MM
MONTGOMERYMAG.COM 13PEOPLE + PLACES/ arts
Fertile Ground for Creativity
Jamie Blicher’s difficult journey has taken her
through a unique artistic awakening
I nk swirls and spirals across
the paper in Jamie Blicher’s
paintings. The abstract
eddies of color streaked
with veins of deeper pigment
resemble polished quartz or
marble. Blicher sells her work
framed or printed on pillows,
headbands, notebooks and
ASHLEY FISHER
even masks from her
company, Glitter Enthusiast.
But despite the whimsical moniker, Bli-
cher’s work was initially born from a much
darker place. During a three-year struggle
with infertility, she turned to art—along
with Pilates, acupuncture and therapy—
to find calm.
“I did a lot of different things, but
painting felt the most like me when I didn’t
really feel like myself,” she says. “I use art as
my personal diary. When I’m really happy,
I paint about it. When I’m not happy, I
paint about it. So for me going through this
infertility journey, it was a time I needed work, Blicher moves the ink and alcohol and Total Wine to shape her offerings. She
to paint.” with a blow dryer or blows on it through a also draws on a lifelong love of creating
Blicher, 35, also decided to incorporate straw. Some work she festoons with stars, art as well as her degree from New York’s
her infertility struggle in her art. One day the kind you wish on. Fashion Institute of Technology. Much
she spied an unused box of IVF needles she “Forcing something beautiful to come of Blicher’s work is done on commission,
used for fertility treatments. In a moment out of this object that brought me such some by women who have faced their own
of creativity, Blicher filled a syringe with pain and frustration was a lifeline in more infertility battles.
rubbing alcohol and injected it onto ink in ways than one,” she says. “We met at similar painful points of our
the center of a piece of paper, watching it Eventually, Blicher became pregnant infertility journeys,” says Erica Noel, who
spread across the page. with her twin sons, Ethan and Bennett, lives in Rockville. “Today, I get to watch my
Her first reaction was awe. “Inks can who were born in July 2018. She lives with daughter curl up in a blanket—marketed as
be very difficult to control on paper,” says them, her husband, Brian, and their labra- a towel—bearing Jamie’s art under two of
Blicher. “Using the syringe gave me that doodle, Gem, in Rockville. And while that her gorgeous paintings, and I literally feel
extra bit of control and power over the was the end of her infertility battle, it was chills of joy and so much optimism.”
ink. Realizing the obvious metaphor here just the beginning for Glitter Enthusiast. Marisa Landau, who lives in Kensington,
between my life and my art was powerful.” Blicher uses her background as a buyer owns one of Blicher’s paintings as well as
To create the billowing whirls in her for such companies as Amazon, West Elm a mask.
14 DECEMBER/JANUARY
MONTGOMERYMAG.COM2020-2021 | MONTGOMERY MAGAZINE“I was so moved by her long and traumatic journey to have
children and how she channeled that experience into her art,
both emotionally and through the use of IVF needles,” she says.
“I have dabbled in art myself and have always been intrigued
with nonconventional tools and mediums, so I find her use
of the syringes inventive and emotionally moving.”
Lisa Aleskow, who lives in Potomac, commissioned a piece
for her daughter’s room. “Her paintings, although abstract, tell a
story—you see the light and darkness in each of them, a feeling
of hope and connection,” she says.
Blicher has also used other women’s sterile IVF needles when Jamie Blicher with husband, Brian, and twins Bennett, left, and Ethan
they commission work. And she has become an advocate of mak-
ing the subject of difficulty in conceiving children less taboo—
starting with her own mother. Instagram account @glitterenthusiast, which has 3,000 followers.
“When I was first trying to get pregnant, she said: ‘Just relax. I just Blicher has exhibited her work through the Art of Infertility
looked at your dad and I was pregnant.’ I was thinking, ‘I know good in Washington, D.C., a group that raises awareness of infertility
intentions are there and this how you think you’re helping me, but issues through art and storytelling. She also donates a portion of
right now I just need to be heard and I need support,’” she recalls. “We her profits to Resolve, a national nonprofit infertility association.
want to be teaching loved ones of those going through infertility what “I want my sons to be so proud of their mom for battling
to say, what not to say, how to offer support, how to comfort.” adversity this way and finding a beautiful thing that comes
It didn’t happen all at once, but when Blicher started sharing out of it,” Blicher says. “I really want to tell them how badly
her artwork with friends three years ago, she also talked about I wanted them and how the conversation of them from the
the journey that led her to create it. And she has connected with beginning turned into something so beautiful. And that they
many women facing their own infertility struggles through her came and made this world so much better.” MM
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MONTGOMERYMAG.COM 15PEOPLE + PLACES/ getaway
BY: MONTGOMERY PARKS, MNCPPC
A snowy day at Brookside Gardens and Sligo Creek Trail
WALKING IN A
WINTER WONDERLAND
Don’t let cold weather stop you from exploring
Montgomery County trails
BY BARBARA NOE KENNEDY
A
s you stroll along the C&O Canal “Winter is not some time to hiber-
in the depths of January, just one nate,” says Bob Schmick, president of the
of Montgomery County’s many Maryland Volkssport Association. “We can
trails ideal for winter walking, the first do everything in winter that we can do in Proper gear
thing that hits you is the silence. There is summer. Just take more clothes.” Dress in layers. Think merino
no one else out here, but then you begin to And as you move, you’ll kick in motion wool, technical layers, down
notice … the doe scuttling in the under- an onslaught of benefits. vests and jackets—and no
cotton. Bring gloves, a hat
brush, the bald eagle swooping upon Studies have shown, for example, that and sunglasses (especially
its prey, the reflection of dark spindly walking outside provides a dose of vitamin if snow is on the ground).
branches on the mirrorlike river. D that can help ward off seasonal affective Even in cold weather you’ll
Indeed, with proper planning, winter disorder (SAD), depression provoked by need water, and be sure to
pack snacks like granola
hiking can become one of your favorite seasonal change. bars, jerky or PB&Js.
activities—and an important one to get “It’s important to know that the shorter
you through the year’s darkest, most days and cold weather trigger changes in
confining months. But wait, isn’t it too our brains,” says Meira Ellias, LCSW-C,
cold? Why not just stay snuggled up on a psychotherapist and owner of DC
the couch or in front of a roaring fire? Therapeutic Services in Bethesda. “These
16 DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 | MONTGOMERY MAGAZINEthat the metabolic rate can increase as
changes can activate symptoms that are much as 40 percent in cold weather, and
closer to depression than the ‘winter blues.’ the effect will last for another 48 to 72
Great winter hikes in There are multiple ways to effectively hours—15 to 20 percent longer than in
Montgomery County
treating SAD, one of which is putting on warmer weather.
Cabin John Regional Park your coat and getting outside. Getting
Trails: Six-plus miles of
Finally, a change of scenery is simply
trails. montgomeryparks.org access to direct sunlight can help decrease good for the soul.
these side effects.” “With COVID keeping more people
Capital Crescent Trail: 11
miles between Georgetown Plus, walking helps reduce stress. working and going to school remotely, we
and Silver Spring. cctrail.org Harvard Medical School researchers have are spending more time around our fami-
C&O Canal: Between mile proven that exercise reduces levels of the lies than ever before,” Ellias says. “Getting
markers 4 and 42; including body’s stress hormones, such as adrena- some time alone, or on a socially distanced
Great Falls Park. nps.gov/ line and cortisol, and increases feel-good walk with friends, can help with any
choh
endorphins, which will last in your system tensions that may arise at home.”
Matthew Henson Trail: 4.5 for over a week. The best part? Traipsing back in from
miles along Turkey Branch.
montgomeryparks.org
And here’s some good news. You’ll burn the cold and reaping the benefits, as you
more calories than in summertime, and enjoy an après-hike mug of hot chocolate
Rachel Carson Conservation
Park Trails: Six-plus miles of
the fat-burning effect is longer. A study by (or hot buttered rum!) in front of a roaring
trails. montgomeryparks.org researchers at Princeton University found fire. Go ahead, you deserve it! MM
MONTGOMERYMAG.COM 1718 MONTGOMERYMAG.COM
PEOPLE + PLACES/ spotlight
Bruce Adams
is Back
AFTER AN EIGHT-YEAR HIATUS, THE BETHESDA COMMUNITY BASE
BALL CLUB FOUNDER IS ONCE AGAIN DRIVING THE BIG TRAIN
BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID STUCK
Bruce Adams is thinking about of running the organization while leading Train. “Do you want it back?” Cashmere
cicadas. Baseball and cicadas. former County Executive Ike Leggett’s asked. Adams demurred, but the more
With some luck, a reliable vaccine and Office of Community Partnerships, he thought about it, the more excited he
COVID-19 in retreat, Adams and the a position he held from 2007 to 2018. became. “I was hooked,” he says. The plan
boys and bugs of summer will all return With no succession plan in place at Big was for him to revive the BCBBC and take
to Shirley Povich Field next year. After an Train, Adams wanted to create a sustainable over in the fall of 2020.
eight-year hiatus, Adams, the 73-year-old organization that wasn’t dependent on Trying to ward off buyer’s remorse,
founder of Bethesda Big Train Baseball, is him. “I’m incredibly passionate about what Adams sought guidance from two close
once again the conductor of the organi- we created here,” he says. “I always worried friends (his family had already given him a
zation. He’s hoping to dedicate the 2021 that [the organization] was too reliant thumbs-up). One told him he was crazy to
season to the nation’s first responders and, on me, and long-term sustainability was even consider the idea; the other said the
yes, to stage an event that marks the return always on my mind.” gig would reinvigorate him in retirement.
of Brood X, the buzzing jarflies who last In 2012, Adams found a willing “They both were right,” he says. “Restarting
swarmed here 17 years ago. successor parent to the BCBBC in Bethesda-
a nonprofit in the middle of a worldwide
“The ‘I Ate a Cicada at Shirley Povich Chevy Chase Baseball (B-CC), which runs
health pandemic is probably not the best
Field’ T-shirts will be back,” says Adams, youth baseball programs. All he had
move for someone in their 70s.”
who memorably munched one in 2004, to do was let go.
When COVID-19 forced cancellation of
inevitably declaring: “Tastes like chicken.” “He agonized about the decision,” says
the 2020 season, Adams assumed steward-
Adams had recently finished serving four Leggett. “Bruce was torn between his two
ship of the team in June instead of in the
terms on the Montgomery County Council great passions, and it was too difficult to do
post-season fall. He had two goals for the
in 1998 when he and John Ourisman both. Personally, I would have been very
fallow season—keep baseball fans interested
founded the nonprofit Bethesda Community disappointed if he’d left the county—but I
and raise money to support Big Train—
Base Ball Club (BCBBC) with the mission wasn’t going to tell him that.”
Yet, just because Adams was out at Big which he meshed together by staging a
to fund improvements for youth baseball
and softball fields across the county. Train didn’t mean he was out of the game. series of fundraising events. Losing one
BCBBC built the 750-seat Povich Field at “Founders are very difficult people,” season to the virus was bad enough;
Cabin John Regional Park and created a new he says with a laugh, “and I among them.” losing a second season “would really
collegiate summer baseball team, Bethesda When one is present at the creation, chances hurt us,” says Adams. The so-called
Big Train, named for Walter “Big Train” are you may nitpick changes that your suc- “BIG susTRAINability” campaign yielded
Johnson, who threw fearsome fastballs over cessors make. For one, Adams disliked the $70,000, giving Big Train a ticket to ride
21 seasons for the Washington Senators ballpark music playlist chosen by the new next spring—pandemic permitting.
before retiring in 1927 and earned a spot in guys. Decidedly old school, Adams prefers So, yes, baseball and cicadas are on his
the first group enshrined in baseball’s Hall Motown and the occasional baseball- mind as it’s deja vu all over again for Bruce
of Fame. themed song to hip-hop and R&B. Adams. Famed author F. Scott Fitzgerald
Like Johnson, Adams threw everything In the fall of 2019, retired from his once declared there are no second acts in
he had into Big Train baseball, but he even- county job, Adams approached B-CC chief American lives. Obviously, he never met
tually felt overmatched by the responsibilities Doug Cashmere about helping with Big the man who drives the Big Train. MM
MONTGOMERYMAG.COM 19PEOPLE + PLACES/ giving back
The Gift of
Flight
Luke’s Wings helps to
facilitate the recovery
and rehabilitation of
wounded service members
by keeping them connected
with loved ones
BY KATIE BEECHER
A s a volunteer with Luke’s Wings Luke’s Wings volunteers serve breakfast at
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
in its early days, Lindsay Gill was
PROVIDED BY LUKE’S WINGS
frequently met with skepticism
when she shared the nonprofit’s mission to support for service members and veterans
provide complimentary airfare to wounded with major chronic illnesses who require
service members and their loved ones. ongoing medical treatment.
“I would knock on doors at Walter Luke’s Wings does not limit how many
Reed (National Military Medical Center) times a family can apply for airfare nor how
and get responses like ‘What’s the string many tickets they can receive. Gill recalls a
attached?’ I would have to tell them that mom in California who wanted to be with
there weren’t any,” says Gill, who is now her son in Washington, D.C.; however,
the organization’s senior director of airfare was expensive and she felt guilty
external affairs. leaving her other five kids behind for a long
Luke’s Wings was founded in 2008 stretch of time. “Luke’s Wings got flights
by Gill’s husband, Fletcher, and Sarah for the entire family and helped them visit The nonprofit hosts an annual Heroes Walk to
Wingfield and named after the first soldier every few weeks,” says Gill. Fly fundraiser in Bethesda. This year, the event
helped—U.S. Army Sgt. Luke Shirley, a Although its primary funding source was virtual.
double amputee who was recovering from comes from corporate sponsors, Luke’s
Wings generates much revenue from
We’ve made a
his injuries at Walter Reed in Bethesda.
Wounded soldiers are treated at military fundraising events, all of which have commitment to say
hospitals best suited for their injuries, not been canceled because of the COVID-19 yes to as many
at hospitals closest to home. The govern- pandemic. holiday flights as
ment provides only three flights for family Since Veterans Day, Luke’s Wings has possible.
members. After that, airfare cost often held its annual “No Soldier Spends Christ-
prohibits loved ones, whose support is mas Alone” fundraising campaign to con-
crucial during a service member’s recovery, tinue reuniting warrior families at a time of
from regularly visiting. year when airfare is more expensive.
More than a decade after its challenging “The average cost of a ticket is $350.
start, Luke’s Wings has purchased That’s where your donation goes,” says Gill. yes to as many holiday flights as possible,”
approximately 6,000 round-trip tickets This year, the nonprofit is also allocating says Gill. “Any service member or military
and 12,000 one-way tickets, expanding its funds to people who are more comfortable family that reaches out, it’s our mission to
offerings to provide flights for the loves driving or taking a train. get them there.”
ones of veterans in hospice or palliative “The holidays are known for together- To learn more about Luke’s Wings and
care. A special assistance program offers ness. We’ve made a commitment to say how you can help, visit lukeswings.org. MM
20 DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 | MONTGOMERY MAGAZINEPEOPLE + PLACES/ q&a
STILL
AWESOME
Dominique Dawes continues
to inspire young gymnasts
BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN
W
e have local heroes and also
those who are famous for
Maryland. Then there are
PHOTOS BY DAVID STUCK
the few who are known to the world.
Dominique Margaux Dawes holds the
trifecta.
The Takoma Park-bred former prom
queen from Gaithersburg High School was a
gymnastics prodigy, becoming the first Black
woman to earn a spot on the U.S. National
team in 1988 and the U.S. Olympic team
in 1992. “Awesome Dawesome” continued
to make history throughout her career; as a
member of the “Magnificent Seven” at the
1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, she
brought home the first gold medal for a U.S.
gymnastics team and was the first Black
gymnast to win an individual event medal.
Now Dawes has returned to her roots,
settling in Montgomery County with
husband Jeff Thompson, a former teacher at
The Heights School in Potomac, and their
four young children. Another offspring,
which she calls “the family project,” is the
Dominique Dawes Gymnastics & Ninja
Academy in Clarksburg. The gym offers a
variety of gymnastic classes from preschool Montgomery Magazine: What are your Virginia, to be closer to his family. But we
to high school as well as Ninja Warrior memories of growing up here? decided we are Marylanders and moved
training, which has a foundation in martial back here with our four kids: a 6- and a
Dominique Dawes: I am a MoCo girl.
arts, challenging obstacle courses and 5-year-old and 2 1/2-year-old twins.
I grew up in the lower part of Silver
gymnastic techniques. Spring near Tacoma Park. My father
In our interview at the Academy, Dawes, had a trash and recycling business Q: Do your kids know that their mom
on Carroll Avenue, and my grandfather, is famous?
43, spoke in blunt terms about the abuse
young gymnasts, including herself, have been who is 93, has a barbershop (Roland’s A: Oh, my goodness, no. They couldn’t
experiencing for years and why it persists. She Unisex Barber Shop) that is still going.
care less about that! I think my two
was ill prepared for the physical and mental oldest girls, Kateri and Quinn, are curious
strain of gymnastics—“The level of com- Q: And now you are raising your own now that we’ve opened this family
mitment was astronomical, and the culture family here. business and people are excited to meet
was extremely unhealthy,” she says—and A: I’m thrilled to be back in Montgomery Mommy—because I’m just like any other
decided to open a gym to prove that a safe County. When we got married, my mom in their eyes—and they wonder
and positive environment could be created to husband and I lived in Silver Spring for what is this? So the [kids] are enamored
promote the sport that’s been her life. a while, then we relocated to Reston, of that. And my husband loves watching
MONTGOMERYMAG.COM 21If [parents] want their kid to go to the Olympics,
I tell them this is not the gym for you. I want
well-rounded children and families.
videos of my gymnastic days, which I
think is kind of odd, but he does it for the
Q: What do you tell parents? way it used to. The sport of gymnastics
really does train you to become a
kids. And they want me to go out and do A: I’ve done motivational speaking perfectionist because you focus on
my gymnastics routines, and I explain since 1996, and when parents ask me, what you did wrong; nothing is ever good
that I’m 43 years old! “Would you put your kids into [highly enough, you’re constantly being judged.
competitive] gymnastics?” I would So when I had that fall I still had that
Q: Did you always have plans to open respond, “Absolutely not.” It’s a great mindset that my career would be defined
your own studio? sport for learning fundamentals, but I by that mistake. But that fall planted a
don’t want my kids to have the seed of drive and determination that it
A: Never! I can actually guarantee you childhood I had. My husband knew is part of life and you can choose to get
that I never envisioned where I’m at nothing about my career—he’s the one back up and move past it—or you can
today. I’d seen the life of many gym person on earth who didn’t watch the dwell on it. And that has helped me going
owners, and it wasn’t a life I wanted ’96 Olympics. And he’s come across through life; I know I’m going to make
for myself. Not that their businesses pieces of me as a child, and in one I’m mistakes in business, for example.
weren’t successful, but I looked at the about 12 or 13, and he paused it and
big picture and I felt that the gym
owners I did know were not necessarily
said to me, “You’re literally crying in the Q: How has the pandemic complicated
middle of your tumbling routine. Why your business plans?
happy people … so this is not something didn’t anyone recognize this wasn’t a
I envisioned for myself. I love working healthy environment for you?” He’s a A: Being unemployed—not a good thing.
with kids, motivating them in the sport schoolteacher of nearly 18 years, and I had a number of speeches lined up; that
of gymnastics, but I had not seen a gym he said [that] if parents would open is what allowed me to support my family.
owner do it the right way. their eyes and see the pain their When those speeches dried up and I was
children are in and recognize the committed to this [gym] and moving
Q: What changed your mind? enormous sacrifices some of their forward with it, it was a little scary. It
children are making—and maybe don’t forced me to have a little more faith,
A: What tipped the scales was Larry want to—they will save their children maybe, than I had before. My husband
Nassar. In 2016, when everything came said we’ll make it through this, it will
and themselves a lifetime of heartache.
out about the hundreds of young make us stronger, and during quarantine
athletes and that Olympic team doctor,
who was a monster—the sexual assaults
Q: So this experience informs the way
this is where all six of us were. We were
on a schedule, and we couldn’t stop it.
you run your academy?
he committed with those young
girls—[it] opened my eyes to the fact
that I love the sport of gymnastics but
A: My desire with this academy is to Q: How well are you meeting your
create a healthy environment, and each projections?
the culture was an unhealthy culture. and every one of my staff is vetted by
And that’s why they were able to get me. If I get a parent who is looking for A: The numbers are significantly lower
away with it for so many decades. The stardom I tell them this isn’t the than what we initially planned, but it’s
culture in gymnastics in many of the environment for them—I tell them flat not bad. We planned for 400, and we just
gyms is based on fear, on intimidation out. I’m glad I went through what I did got there. I’m a conservative person. I
and silence. The athletes can be because now I know what I want for my wasn’t thinking, oh, we’ll have 1,000
emotionally, physically and verbally children. If they want their kid to go to people as soon as we open the door. Now
abused. So they go to sleep in fear, the Olympics, I tell them this is not the we do have 900 people pre-signed up.
they wake up in fear, they show up for gym for you. I want well-rounded But even though our start is slow, I’m
practice crying, they cry during practice, children and families. able to connect with each and every
and they leave crying. No one takes the family, to know the kids’ names. I’m
time to recognize how damaging it is on
those young girls. The girls can’t even
Q: Looking back, what athletic
able to connect with my staff.
achievement gives you the most
voice that they are uncomfortable, and
satisfaction? Q: Are you interested in coaching,
for some reason parents are blinded— perhaps even an Olympic team?
maybe by the thoughts of a college A: Coming back from my fall at the
scholarship—and they don’t see the Olympics. Winning is one thing, but I A: Do I see myself on the floor coaching?
pain their kid is in today. learned a lot from my mistake at the I’m trying not to do it all. I do want to
1996 Olympics. It doesn’t haunt me the remain married! I want to know my
22 DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 | MONTGOMERY MAGAZINEkids. They don’t need mommy as a parents that were a certain way or if you are.” I broke down; I’d never heard
coach. I have stepped in on a preschool only I weren’t in the sport of gymnas- those words before—or since. Her
class, but that’s because we were tics. But I’ve truly embraced the most words made such an impression on me.
short-staffed due to COVID-19. So painful moments of my life because
I jumped in. But that’s not where I that’s what brought me where I am Q: What do you say to young girls who
want to be. today, with the people I am today, with want to be like Dominique?
the drive and the passion I have today.
Q: Do you expect to resume doing So even if could write a letter to my A: I would tell them don’t be like
motivational speeches? younger self, I would just remind her Dominique. Be yourself. Be the best that
that she’s stronger and more resilient you are. I understand when they walk
A: I really enjoyed doing motivational than she thinks. I’d remind her that her through this facility and there’s the
speeches, although I didn’t like the greatness is not about her accolades or Olympic photos it’s a draw, as is my
travel. Once I started bringing the kids about achievements, but her heart. name, and moms and dads grew up
on the road with me, it became harder
watching me. But when they come
and harder. I found it to be more of a job
The mother of one of my teammates, through the door I hope they find that
than it needed to be.
Alexis Norman, pulled me aside in 1994 my coaches are upbeat and compas-
Q: If you could revisit your past and
when I was having a tough time in the
sport. I had a horrible two months of
sionate. My teammates and I lived in an
atmosphere of anxiety and fear. It just
change it, given what you know now,
practice and wanted to quit. She pulled alarms me what parents (of gymnasts)
would you?
me aside and said, “Remember we love don’t see—or don’t want to see. I want
A: For a while I dwelled on coulda, you not because of your talent and ours to be a positive environment and
woulda, shoulda. Like if only I’d had ability in the gym but because of who build the kids’ self-esteem. MM
MONTGOMERYMAG.COM 23NOW ACCEPTING
Applications for PreK-8th Grade
EDUCATION
NOW ACCEPTING
for the 2021-2022 school year
NOW ACCEPTING
Applications for PreK-8th Grade
Applications for PreK-8th Grade
for the 2021-2022 school year
for the 2021-2022 school year
SDI PRODUCTIONS/E+/GETTY IMAGES
1 41 31 Seneca Road Dar nes t own, MD 20874
1 41 31 Seneca Road Dar nes t own, MD 20874
www.maryofnazareth.org
www.maryofnazareth.org
1 41 31 Seneca Road Dar nes t own, MD 20874
www.maryofnazareth.org
Inspiring excellence, intrinsic motivation, and
responsibility through innovation in learning.
Lower School
Montessori Method
12 months - Grade 5
Middle & Upper School
Project-Based Learning
Grades 6-12
barrie.org
admission@barrie.org
301.576.2800
24 DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 | MONTGOMERY MAGAZINEWELL + BEING
ASKMENOW/DIGITALVISION VECTORS/GETTY IMAGES
COLD WEATHER CARE
How to relieve your winter skin woes
BY KATIE BEECHER
‘Tis the season to be jolly, free, thick moisturizing cream and apply it to take breaks from mask wearing when
immediately after bathing,” she says. Her it’s safe to do so. She also recommends
to watch Hallmark movies favorite drugstore moisturizer is CeraVe, cleansing with a salicylic or glycolic acid
and to moisturize, which contains hyaluronic acid to attracts face wash and refreshing the skin with
moisturize, moisturize. moisture to the skin and ceramides to a toner like Epionce Purifying Toner
maintain the skin barrier. throughout the day. Minimizing makeup
■ As we age, our skin tends to become Moisturizing is especially important under the mask could also help.
drier due to our body’s decreased pro- now that people are washing and sani- For people with naturally sensitive
duction of oils, cumulative sun damage, tizing their hands more frequently due
skin, it’s all about finding the right mask.
hormonal changes and even certain to COVID-19. “I’m seeing more hand
Pellicane likes machine-washable Thera-
medications we take. In the wintertime, the dermatitis, and some patients have allergies
masks, which are made from fabric
decreased humidity and dry indoor heat to certain products in hand sanitizers, like
designed to reduce facial contamination.
can make already-dry skin feel even tighter propylene glycol, so check the labels before
and itchier, says Brenda L. Pellicane, MD, If your dry skin or maskne continue
you buy it,” Pellicane says.
FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and The pandemic has also introduced a to worsen throughout the season, don’t
founder of Icon Dermatology & Aesthetics new concern: “maskne,” or acne caused hesitate to make an appointment with your
in Rockville. by wearing a mask. Pellicane reports an dermatologist. Many practices are offering
To keep skin hydrated as outdoor increase in skin conditions on the face, telemedicine to keep patients safe during
temps drop, Pellicane recommends using which she attributes to a combination of the pandemic.
a humidifier, bathing only once a day, friction and trapped moisture from masks. “People also shouldn’t try to diagnose
drinking water and, of course, moistur- The dermatologist advises everyone to themselves,” says Pellicane. “They might do
izing. “You should look for a fragrance change and wash their masks routinely and things that can make the issue worse.” MM
continued on page xxx
MONTGOMERYMAG.COM 25LAUGHTER,
THE BEST MEDICINE
Feeling better, longer—one laugh at a time
BY LAURA BRZYSKI
“Throw your arms overhead, Nearly 20 years later, Kataria, a doctor from India, tested
Cousins’ philosophy with public laughter gatherings, where
tilt your head back, inhale strangers would come together and, you guessed it, laugh.
In The New Yorker article, “The Laughing Guru,” writer Raffi
—Hahahahahahaha!” Khatchadourian notes that Kataria’s approach doesn’t rely on
humor or jokes but on “coming together and engaging in simple
And so, laughter yoga with Kumud Mathur begins. This forms of play, mostly built around faking laughter.”
isn’t yoga in the traditional sense: there are no down dogs, sun While studies have found that the brain can distinguish
salutations or crow poses. Instead, 24 strangers and I are releasing between spontaneous and forced laughter (the former activating
hearty hahas over Zoom. We’re clapping on the beat of “ha, ha, the part of the brain linked with happiness and positive emotions,
ho-ho-ho,” pretending to be water fountains spewing laughter and the latter triggering meaning-making), the main goal of laughter
cackling like witches flying on broomsticks—all in the comforts of yoga is to simply get you laughing more, no matter if the eruption
our own homes. It feels absolutely liberating. is natural or fake. And, as Kataria and others have experienced,
Though I am not physically surrounded by my other laughing volitional chuckling typically becomes genuine the longer it lasts.
buddies, I somehow feel connected to them and Mathur. In a year Plus, according to psychology professor and humor researcher
that has felt isolating and bleak, I realize that I’ve laughed more Rod Martin, adults only laugh an average of 17 times per day.
in 30 minutes with people I’ve never met than I have in nearly 12 Compared with children who are reported to laugh up to 300
months. Mathur, who teaches laughter yoga and Bollywood dance times daily, adults might find it more difficult to evoke a sense of
for the Potomac Library and Montgomery County Recreation, wonder and lightheartedness. In a society that has conditioned
reminds us at the end of class that we all could use—and us to be serious in our work and personal lives, our jadedness can
deserve—a good laugh, especially right now. Plus, it’s invigorating dampen the joy of experiences, meaning we often need to fake it
to move my body and feel my lungs expand, instead of being my ‘til we make it.
T
usual pajama-wearing couch potato. I log off, ready to laugh off
hough laughter is a supplement to—not a replacement
whatever the day throws at me.
of—prescribed medications and professional health
Most practitioners of laughter yoga cite Norman Cousins and
treatments, tapping into your childlike playfulness
Madan Kataria as the movement’s primary influencers. In 1976,
can support your physical wellness. Even better: it’s free! In
Cousins wrote about how he believed laughter had saved his life
2005, researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center
in the New England Journal of Medicine. Diagnosed with ankylos-
discovered that laughter is linked to healthy function of blood
ing spondylitis, he decided to combat the life-threatening joint
vessels, which, in turn, aids in preventing cardiovascular disease.
disease with humor, including “Candid Camera,” Marx Brothers
When shown a clip from a comedy film, participants—all of
films and funny books. For Cousins, the comedic relief was just
whom had normal blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose
that—a relief. “Ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an
levels—showed a blood flow increase of 22 percent. When shown
anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free
a mentally distressing movie scene, their blood vessels constricted
sleep,” he reported in his 1979 bestseller, “Anatomy of an Illness,
by 35 percent, reducing blood flow and increasing blood pressure.
as Perceived by the Patient.”
26 DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 | MONTGOMERY MAGAZINEIf you can get people
laughing together,
you can get them
connecting and
bypassing the
“sensors” we use
to judge others.
– Dianne Fanti
INSIDE CREATIVE HOUSE / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
MONTGOMERYMAG.COM 27The study’s lead That’s because laughing among others—
analyst, Dr. Michael even if they’re strangers—encourages
Miller, notes this us to break down our defensive
change is similar to walls and feel more at ease in
the physiological group settings.
benefits of aerobic In a series of studies conducted
activity, and that 15 at the University of North Carolina
minutes of laughter at Chapel Hill, social psychologists
daily paired with Laura E. Kurtz and Sara B. Algoe
regular exercise can concluded that laughter, when
help keep your heart shared, is an indicator of what
Dianne Fanti healthy. they call “relationship well-being,”
Additionally, or healthy social connections.
Dr. Marilou Jimenez, medical director of the Addiction and Moreover, shared laughter is
Mental Health Center at MedStar Montgomery, says that laughter significantly associated with “greater
therapy boosts immunity. When we experience stress, the body closeness and social support” and
releases the hormone cortisol into our bloodstream, which signals similar worldviews and feelings
increases heart rate and blood pressure. If this stress hormone of safety. All of this might be why perfor-
stays in our system longer than necessary, it can inflame infec- mance art, like improv theater, often begets
tion-fighting cells and deplete the immune system. Laughing, laughter and bolsters a sense of community.
Jimenez says, is an easy way to decrease high levels of cortisol, Katie Hecklinger, director of education
improve circulation and increase endorphins (which make you for Germantown’s BlackRock Center for
happy and protect against illness). the Arts, has found that their youth
Laughing can also be extremely therapeutic when it comes to and adult improv classes yield
your mental and emotional health. For Nira Berry, founder of enthusiasm and togetherness
local laughter therapy and life coaching business LaughingRx, among participants. “The
laughter has been a tool for igniting delight and promoting overall [improv] exercises
healing, especially while undergoing treatment for breast cancer. seem to peel back
“For me to survive [cancer], I realized stress wasn’t going to
help me heal, but laughter might,” she recalls. Berry, who is now
cancer-free, also says that laughing improves cognitive functioning,
allowing you to make thought-out decisions, stay focused and
feel energized. Jimenez supports this, noting that increased oxygen
in the lungs and a release of
dopamine in the brain, along with
decreased cortisol levels in the
body, can clear your mind, keep
you levelheaded and even shift
your perspective from negative to
positive in stressful situations.
Plus, humor—not misery—
loves company. Not only can
it be a great icebreaker among
strangers, but it’s also a natural
relationship builder. As Dianne
Fanti, a laughter yoga instructor
at Blueberry Gardens in Ashton,
says, “If you can get people laughing
together, you can get them
connecting and bypassing the Nira Berry, founder of LaughingRx
‘sensors’ we use to judge others.”
28 DECEMBER/JANUARY
DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY
2020-2021
2021 || MONTGOMERY
MONTGOMERYMAGAZINE
MAGAZINEpeople’s fear, mainly because improv is very collabora- fear and anxiety. But as laughter yoga instructor Fanti reminds
tive and team-focused,” she says. “In having to keep us, suppressing our negative emotions is like holding a beach ball
the storyline going, a group of strangers must trust underwater: it’s eventually going to shoot out with great force,
one another, be ready for whatever comes next and likely when you least expect it.
take creative risks—which often leads to hilarity. Furthermore, holding in anger, frustration and pain can backfire
Laughter is louder than the mask you’re hiding on our family dynamics and long-term health. “Depressed parents
behind.” often raise depressed children,” says MedStar Montgomery’s
We all know, though, that life isn’t always Jimenez. “If you bring humor into a household and teach kids how
rainbows and butterflies, as the saying goes. to laugh instead of dwelling in negativity, kids are more likely to
When the pandemic hit, laughter seemed to halt. live longer as healthy adults.”
COVID-19 amplified day-to-day hardships, But how do you laugh when you’re feeling stressed, sad or
making it challenging for us to recognize what overwhelmed? Berry of LaughterRx believes we have to be inten-
is good in life. And for many people, work and tional about bringing ourselves relief, especially during hard times.
home have collapsed into one, leaving this “Laughing is just like learning to ride a bike for the first time—you
intense, draining energy in our personal spaces. have to practice in order for it to become a natural skill,” she says.
Essentially, finding reasons to churn out Before you get out of bed, wiggle your toes and roll your wrists,
chuckles proved tough in a time full and laugh while you’re waking up each body part. Before brushing
of increased uncertainty, your teeth, look in the mirror and make funny faces. Being able to
laugh at yourself is a reminder to not take yourself so seriously all
the time.
Additionally, Jimenez says getting a restful night’s sleep and
eating nutrient-dense food can sustain a positive mindset throughout
the day. She also recommends writing in a gratitude journal every
night, as recording what you’re thankful for or are enjoying in
your day-to-day life can reframe a pessimistic outlook.
You can also mindfully seek out humor. Fanti says
watching funny movies or shows and looking at memes
are simple ways to initiate laughter, especially because
adults naturally rely on external stimuli for their
giggles. Take a free virtual laughter yoga class
with Mathur on Monday mornings (a happy
start to your week!) or a virtual improv class
through BlackRock to hone your ability to
adapt through unpredictability.
Or, simply spend your time with
people who put a smile on your face.
It won’t cost a cent, but it’ll give
you plenty in return. And that’s
no laughing matter. MM AARONAMAT/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
MONTGOMERYMAG.COM 29You can also read
