Empowering Kids Through Movement and Mindset: How DashStrom Is Transforming Youth Wellness

We are living through an unprecedented mental health crisis among children. Alarming studies show that even kids as young as five years old are experiencing suicidal thoughts. Cristina Ramirez, founder of DashStrom, believes the antidote lies in movement, mindset, and empowerment - and she, along with her co-founder Ketaki Desai, is on a mission to spark a national movement that transforms how we support kids.

In our recent conversation on the Trust Me Mom podcast, Cristina shared her powerful personal story, how DashStrom was born, and why fitness is just the vehicle for something much bigger: helping kids believe in themselves.

From "Problem Child" to Ironman to Empowerment Advocate

Cristina describes herself as a rebellious teen who lacked confidence and made poor choices. But when she became a mom, everything changed. Determined to be healthy for her two sons, she trained for and ran a 5K. That sense of accomplishment was life-changing.

“I felt like I had just won an Olympic gold medal,” she recalled. That small win led to bigger races and eventually Ironman triathlons. “I was a completely different person,” she said.  She wanted her kids and all other kids to have that powerful mindset too. 

Turning Fitness into a Tool for Confidence

Cristina’s journey led her to start a simple run club at her sons’ elementary school. After watching kids struggle through a 5K only to light up with pride at the finish line, she knew she was onto something.

“That moment of ‘I did it!’ - you can’t buy it. It has to be earned,” Cristina explained. “Confidence comes from doing hard things.”

She began developing a curriculum of games that would be both physically engaging and mentally empowering. These games simulate the challenge-achievement cycle: struggle, persistence, and success. Each activity is rooted in one of DashStrom’s eight “empowerment principles,” such as positive thinking. 

The Ice Cream Story: Teaching Kids to Manage Negative Thoughts

One game in the program illustrates how DashStrom blends storytelling with physical play. Cristina teaches kids to recognize negative thoughts like distractions on the path to the “ice cream store.” Just as you wouldn’t run across the street to hug a stranger, you don’t have to engage with every negative thought. Then kids play tag games where they physically practice turning negative thoughts into positive ones. The idea is that kids don’t just hear the lesson - they live it.
 
Who It's For: From Preschoolers to Preteens

Dashstrom serves kids ages 2 to 13. The structure of the games stays the same, but expectations evolve with age. “For a preschooler, saying ‘I am powerful’ at the end of class is enough. For a middle schooler, we want deeper reflection,” Cristina noted. And kids keep coming back - not just because it’s good for them, but because it’s fun.

A National Movement and a Side Hustle for Parents

DashStrom is now in 41 states and over 250 communities across the U.S. Cristina and her team train coaches - often moms and dads - who run the program in schools, churches, parks, and even shopping malls.
“We train people to become DashStrom coaches, and they do this as a side hustle... They make like 100 bucks an hour,” Cristina said. “Some people work full time so they will do it on the weekends... Some people will do it right after school and it also depends on the community.”

There’s also a deep sense of mission. “I believe that we are in a crisis that is unprecedented,” Cristina emphasized. Like many parents, Cristina is deeply concerned about children’s screen addiction, growing disconnection, and rising anxiety.
 
More Than Just Sports

Unlike traditional sports programs where confidence is a side effect, DashStrom puts emotional empowerment at the center. “Seventy percent of kids don’t enjoy team sports,” Cristina said. “This gives them another way to move, grow, and believe in themselves.”

A Path Built on Personal Resilience

Cristina’s belief in resilience was tested when her husband passed away from cancer just seven weeks after his diagnosis. As a newly widowed single mom, she could have collapsed. Instead, she chose to live and to lead.
“I had no choice that he died,” she said. “But I had a choice in how I responded. And that’s what I teach the kids - only you can control your thoughts.” Her book, Empowered by Discomfort, shares these hard-won lessons and is available on Amazon.

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Want to Get Involved?
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Parents, teachers, and community members can learn more or sign up to coach at dashstrom.com/hellocoach. “We train you for free,” said Cristina. “We show you how to do this and how to go into your community, how to talk to the school, and then what to teach in the classes.” The program includes training, background checks, safety protocols, and a supportive network of passionate people.
 
Cristina’s story is a reminder that resilience isn’t something we’re born with   it’s something we can learn, practice, and pass on. Through DashStrom, she’s helping the next generation grow up stronger in body, mind, and spirit.
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Want to hear Cristina’s full interview? Listen to the latest episode of the Trust Me Mom podcast.