If you haven’t read the June issue of “O,” Oprah Winfrey’s magazine that’s now on the stands, don’t miss it. There’s a photo on page 197 of Joanne McColm, who is a Pleasanton mother of six (including 9-year old quadruplets) and a church volunteer and teenage activities leader. She’s also the wife of Larry McColm of McColm Commercial Real Estate, whose prominent two-story building at Angela and Main streets is topped with a third floor cupola that includes a back lighted American flag in a window facing north on Main.
Joanne is featured in the magazine as part of its coverage of a five-day, all-expense-paid trip she and 59 other women from throughout the country won in a contest sponsored by Oprah. They joined TV talk show celebrity at the famed Miraval Resort and Spa just outside of Tucson, one of Oprah’s favorites. The trip went to women who have extraordinary backgrounds or heart-rending experiences and was aimed at helping each of them–all confident, intelligent women such as Joanne–to live even more fulfilling lives. On board at the spa was an A-team of fitness and life coaches who worked with each contest winner to make lasting transformations. From the start, the group realized they were special, with their names and brief testimonies having been selected from more than 50,000 entries.
Joanne said that although some of the women had been through very traumatic experiences, including one whose husband had been killed in Iraq and another whose 26-year-old son had been murdered, many others were there because of community and personal accomplishments. Joanne’s not sure why she was chosen, although she cleverly noted on the registration card she sent that her quads were born on Jan. 29, which just happened to be (as she knew) the same date as Oprah’s birthday. Joanne’s work with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Paseo Santa Cruz is also extensive, including handling summer camp each year in the High Sierras where the girls have a chance to try their skills at repelling. Joanne found that Miraval offered a similar “life’s challenges” program, this one called a Swing & a Prayer. As explained in the “O” magazine, participants are strapped into a harness and attached to a cable. They’re hoisted 40 feet in the air and then it’s up to them to let go of the rope and drop in a dramatic arc to the ground. Joanne had another activity, so missed the fun, but Oprah’s best friend Gayle King tried it, and nearly had a nervous breakdown.
Joanne found among her biggest thrills during her days at Miraval were the time she had to spend with Dr. Mehmet Oz, who dealt with the diversity of modern-day stresses; Oprah’s personal trainer Bob Greene, and a 15-minute one-on-one chat with Oprah, who remembered the quads and their matching birthdays. Another highlight was food preparation, cooking and how to add flavor and color to make healthy food even more appealing. Joanne brought back dozens of new recipes that the quads, Kayla and Larry are now enjoying, or so Joanne says. What she is serving is really not all that different from the healthy lifestyle that’s always been part of the McColm household, but it tastes and looks better. Joanne, a true fan of Oprah, even prepares tasty snacks and fast food so that she can watch the Oprah every day without taking kitchen breaks.
By the way, you can watch, too, when Oprah talks about the trip and Miraval next Friday, May 25. In the meantime, be sure to read about Joanne McColm and the trip of a lifetime in the June issue of “O,” pages 196-203.
