Meet Sarah Aiko Mayo | Nonprofit Director, Health & Healing Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Aiko Mayo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah Aiko, what principle do you value most?
The motto of our organization is “strong to serve” and encompasses a value that I aim to have lead all that I do. Our culture talks a lot about self-love, self-actualization and determination, but the reality is that once you master the discipline of stacking good habits, it’s really not that complicated to get what you want out of life. I think that we need to stop being so easily impressed by “success” as it if were the greatest mystery about life – it may be difficult to do, practically speaking, but the equation to get there is rather simple.

Instead, I want to focus my actions and ambitions on what it means to channel all of that energy into serving others, even when it doesn’t make sense in the cultural paradigm. I believe that self-discipline and the principle of manifestation are a trap: you’ll never feel like you’ve quite reached your goal and you’ll always find yourself chasing the next thing, just as unsatisfied as before. The paradox is that in putting others first, the very opportunities for our own realization and revelation are met.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I was a lifelong athlete and, truthfully, didn’t really know who I was or where I belonged outside of that. I had channeled some significant trauma into sports and did pretty well at it, competing as a dual-sport collegiate athlete and then semi-professionally at the international CrossFit Games. I was simultaneously building a up my dream resume of experiences as a fitness and wellness coach, getting to travel internationally to be mentored by some of the figures I looked up to most in the area of neuroscience-informed coaching.

But my “come to Jesus” moment really opened my eyes to see that my purpose was so much greater than even the life I had dreamed of and long-story-short, I hit the reset button in a lot of areas and started a nonprofit organization, Point One Vision.

Our mission is to empower, educate and equip people in what it means to be “strong to serve” according to a Biblical model. Our vision is to bridge the gap between Christian ministry services and the health and fitness industry to model a holistic view of what it means to embody physical, mental, emotional, relational and spiritual health. We’ve got a lot going on, but one of the things that I’m most excited about right now is a community center that we’re building out in a remote village called Katega in Uganda, Africa. One of the most impoverished regions of the nation, the communities in this area struggle against virtually every aspect of poverty culture – food and water scarcity, medical provision, financial hardship, lack of education and more. Last year we completed the Livelihood and Sustainability Project, which is a goat farm to provide entrepreneurial opportunities for local families outside of their scarce and seasonal farming income. We just recently finished the construction of a multi-purpose space that is used as both a church and a youth fitness facility. In partnership with the adjacent primary school, we’ve structured an incentivized program to get more kids into school and we’re just about to launch a scholarship program to match sponsors with individual children who can’t afford to go to school. Based on what I’ve learned working in Uganda for over a decade now, I have a strong opinion on a “hand up” versus “hand out” model in how we do our international work, so we do all of this in partnership with a Ugandan-founded and operated nonprofit organization called Pumziko Africa.

Another area that we’re really gaining momentum right now is our program called Full Armor – a series of in-person and online resources to teach people a Biblical model for health and healing. Connecting the dots between aspects of psychology, physiology and theology, we integrate nervous system management from a faith-based approach and delineate the “woo-woo” from what’s true about our bodies, minds and hearts.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of my favorite things to do when I lived in San Diego was to get a to-go order from Bahn Thai in University Heights and take it to this little “secret spot” lookout overlooking Mission Valley from under a singled out tree. It’s just a little corner of the city special to me that not many people would know about and feels like a breath of fresh air.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mom for her faithfulness of a lifetime of prayers for me, my dad for his example of humble work ethic, my husband for his constant encouragement and support, and all of the friends. mentors and partners I’ve gained through working in the small nonprofit arena that continue to bless me beyond what I could have imagined.

Website: https://www.pointonevision.com

Instagram: sarahaikomayo

Image Credits
Jaime Andres, Melanie Lim, Dons Enock, Lorenzo Menendez