Wendy Duncan says she learned to change her body and her life by changing her mind. Now she coaches others how to achieve their goals and become the best version of themselves.
Originally from Sacramento, CA, Duncan came up to Central Oregon for a visit and fell in love with the active, outdoor culture, and the huge variety of ways to get out in nature. “I love the lifestyle. The outdoors. The diversity of the climate, and of the activities you can do here. It’s amazing to be able to ski and rock climb or golf and bike ride in the same day.”
She moved to Redmond as a real estate broker in 2005, before the recession when the housing market was strong. Duncan thrived with the independence and sense of achievement of her job, where she was her own boss for the first time in her life. “My stress level got a whole lot better moving here,” she recalls. “The people are so nice. In Redmond, it’s a community where you can still stop at a 4-way stop and everybody wants to wave the other person on first. Things move at a slower pace. And, many people move here by choice, not because they’re stuck here.”
Duncan’s interest in the power of positive thinking was born out of her real estate career and her history of severe migraines. She had struggled to treat her headaches with medication her whole life and when she read The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, some new ideas started to click into place. A LifeSuccess Consultant came to talk to her real estate team and she realized that LifeSuccess was owned by Bob Proctor, who was featured in The Secret. “In December of 2007, I sold more in commission sales than I had the previous 11 months and I knew it was because of what I was learning about the power of my mind.” She later met Proctor, when she decided to become licensed and certified by his company. When they spoke about her life long battle with migraines, he told her, “You made your head ache and you can make your head stop.” Duncan was initially angry at the implication that she caused her head to ache, but thought, “what if he’s right?” She knew this would be no easy task, but she was ready to undertake the hard work it would require.
Duncan left real estate in 2008 and started her own coaching and motivational speaking business. “I built my skills by coaching other people, and I eventually was able to eliminate four prescription medications and two over the counter medications that I was taking. It was a miracle,” she says. Although she had learned to control her migraines, Duncan still wasn’t meeting all of her goals. Always an avid walker, she wasn’t seeing the results she expected from walking five days a week. She considered adding swimming as a new aerobic activity, Duncan went into the Cascade Swim Center to check it out. “I used to swim when I was little. I was a very good swimmer,” Duncan says. “I knew there was a pool with classes and I went there looking for another option. I learned about the other fitness classes. Dance fitness stuck out at me.”
In 2012, Duncan added dance fitness classes to her schedule and connected immediately with Heather Olson, one of the RAPRD instructors. “I didn’t know anybody there, but I just loved it! And, I loved Heather’s energy! I thought her story was compelling. She is an awesome lady. Her passion, her leadership, is all so inspiring!” Duncan began to make her dance fitness classes at the Activity Center a priority. “I started booking my coaching appointments around my classes.” She started seeing results beyond weight loss. “The classes are not only for physical fitness, but mental wellbeing. You do more than you thought you ever could. I’ve never had muscle tone like this before. You also get to meet some great people from around town.”
Duncan with RAPRD dance fitness instructor Heather Olson
Duncan has added wedding officiating to her stress and weight management coaching and speaking business. Between dance and her unique career path, Duncan has found a common theme; a platform for creativity and connection. “I always wanted to be on stage. When I was little, I wanted to be an actress or a musician. I went into college thinking I would get a music degree and found out that I’m really an entrepreneur. As a coach, motivational speaker, and wedding officiant, I get to perform.”
Duncan had never tried dance fitness before, but she had always enjoyed being active outside. “In California, before I moved here, I used to walk about 18 miles a week and then, moving here, I got the added elevation. I still walk almost every day. I’m also an avid golfer but I wouldn’t call myself a fitness fanatic. I’m a big advocate of listening to your body. There’s a big component of ‘does it fit into your life and your desires?’” Between coaching and officiating, Duncan’s life is pretty packed. “I performed 76 weddings last year,” she says, “Because of scheduling, dance fits into my life.”
Duncan officiating a wedding in Oregon's beautiful outdoors
Her commitment to transforming herself through coaching and dancing gave Duncan a stronger foundation for advising clients. Her mental and physical work brought her through her career transition, a divorce, and dramatic weight loss. Before she released the extra weight, Duncan would consider, “Am I in integrity even showing up to my clients in this body without having done the work? I can teach you how to overcome stress because I’ve done it. I can’t teach you how to be a millionaire because I haven’t done it. So I had to do the work myself first.” She takes the time each day to prep her food for the day and meditate so that she can fully focus on her clients’ needs. “I consider myself to be a very authentic person.” Duncan says. “I’m here to serve the community in my capacity as a coach in stress and weight management. I would never ask my client to do something that I haven’t done or continue to do. Honesty, integrity, authenticity are very important characteristics and I pride myself on having those.”
Because she has personally experienced the benefits of the RAPRD fitness classes, Duncan frequently recommends them to her coaching clients. The classes bring more than fitness, but also relationships, community, and confidence. “If I’m coaching somebody, I tell them about the classes. They’re women (and sometimes men) of all ages and all different fitness levels and physical abilities and we just have fun. We just do the best we can and we support each other really, really well. One of my past coaching clients is a regular now.”
Redmond, and RAPRD specifically, offers a variety of opportunities - indoor and outdoor, water and land – for those seeking mental and physical wellness. “RAPRD offers fun, creative environments,” she says, “and a diverse range of activities that reaches all ages.” She also notes that “affordability is huge.” RAPRD promotes a focus on health and wellness, she observes, but also emphasizes fun. Duncan has found RAPRD a beneficial environment for her coaching, which is more about giving clients tools and options than prescribing a rigorous diet and exercise program. “Coaching literally teaches you to get out of your own way,” she explains. “To stop self sabotaging. To be mentally free from ego. I give you the tools, whether it is stress or weight or goal setting. I help people become more aware of the power within them: either the power to defeat themselves or the power to succeed.”
Duncan throws herself completely into everything she does. “I’m real,” she says. “What you see is what you get. If I’m coaching you, I’m not worried about what you think of me or how my hair looks or anything else. I’m there for you, to help you move forward. I want everyone to be empowered and don’t want them to suffer.” She works hard on managing her own stress and fitness so that she can coach others with integrity. She takes time to herself each day so that when she meets with a client, she can be “fully vital, vibrant, and alive, and can be all I can be for them.”
Through her classes at RAPRD and her personal transformations since coming to Redmond, Duncan observes that she has been able to bring good people, power, and positivity into her life. “I believe in the law of attraction,” she explains. “I believe you will bring into your life who and what you need at that time. That’s how I live my life.”
Photo credit: Tony Gambino; Pronghorn