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Health: Healing herself, then others

Published on November 16th, 2009

By ALASKA NEWSPAPERS STAFF

Lydia Olsen knows what it's like to live an unhealthy lifestyle. Now she's spending her life showing others how to make a change.

Olsen, who was born and raised in the city of Kodiak, is the winner of this year's Alaska Federation of Natives president's award for health.

During the award presentation, AFN president Julie Kitka noted how Olsen, who works with Family Wellness Warriors, had overcome alcoholism in her own life and now spends countless hours traveling around the state to support sobriety.

She was nominated for the award by the Afognak Native Corp., the Native Village of Afognak, and the Native Village of Port Lions.

She is the daughter of the late Pete and Nina Olsen and the third oldest of eight siblings.

As Olsen accepted the award, her voiced was choked with tears and emotion.

"It's moments like these that take me back," she told the audience at the convention. "It was that Easter weekend in 1978. I woke up the day after Good Friday, Saturday morning, feeling totally desperate and hopeless. I saw no good for my future. By the grace of God, my family and very dear friends, I stand before you today."

From 1984 to 1992, Lydia worked as a rehabilitation specialist, itinerant substance abuse counselor, and village client advocate with the Kodiak Area Native Association. After leaving KANA, Lydia pursued higher education. In 1995 she obtained an associate's degree from Kodiak College. She earned her bachelor's in behavioral science at Northwest College in Kirkland, Wash., in 1997.

In 2000, Lydia attended the Survivors of Abuse Leadership Training Seminars (SALTS), an intense, faith based, five-day process that is designed to help individuals overcome old and painful issues that have impacted their quality of life. In 2003, a team of SALTS trainers came to Alaska to teach Alaska Natives to offer local training seminars. With the belief that this process would make a huge impact, Olsen worked tirelessly and volunteered many hours to help other Alaska Natives deal with their past.

Olsen's commitment to her people is strong. Over the years, she has been involved with Kodiak Native New Life, Interact Ministries, and Youth With A Mission.

"I know this room is probably full of people who are struggling with addictions, be it with drugs or the economy or whatever," Olsen told the convention audience. "If I could only say one thing, I'd say don't quit before the miracle happens."