Alexandra Allred
{{short description|American novelist}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{notability|Biographies|date=August 2017}}
{{COI|date=July 2017}}
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{{Infobox writer
| image =
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|birth_name = Alexandra Powe
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|2|5|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Frankfurt, West Germany
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Author, Fitness Instructor
| nationality = American
| period = 1993–present
| genre = nonfiction-fitness, fiction-mystery
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| signature =
| website = {{URL|http://www.alexandratheauthor.com/}}
| spouse = Robb Allred (m. 1991; three children)
}}
Alexandra Powe Allred (born February 5, 1965) is an American athlete, author, environmental advocate, and fitness instructor. She has written and contributed to more than 20 books, fiction and nonfiction.
Personal life
Allred was born in Frankfurt, West Germany and was raised in the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic with her parents and one sister.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} Her father was an American diplomat stationed throughout Europe. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.A. in History. There, she met her husband Robb Allred and they were married in 1991. Alex has three children.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}
In 2017, Allred graduated from Tarleton State University with a M.S. in Kinesiology.{{cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/institution/Tarleton_State_University/department/Department_of_Kinesiology/members|title=Tarleton State University - Department of Kinesiology - Members|website=ResearchGate}}
Career
=Athletics=
Alexandra Allred was the first female to make and form the US Women's Bobsleigh team in 1994 by winning the nationals competition with a push time of 6.386 seconds.{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1994/12/26/132981/their-program-needs-a-push-this-us-womens-team-lacks-olympic-status-not-to-mention-funds|title=Their Program Needs a Push|first=Candace|last=Putnam|publisher=}} She was four months pregnant with her second child at the time and was a subject in studies by Dr. James Clapp for health and fitness in pregnant athletes.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YunLnwgUD08C&dq=dr.+clapp+pregnancy+exercise+alexandra+allred&pg=PA85|title=Atta Girl!: A Celebration of Women in Sport|first1=Alexandra Powe|last1=Allred|first2=Karen|last2=Powe|first3=Michelle|last3=Powe|date=23 July 2017|publisher=Wish Publishing|isbn=9781930546615|via=Google Books}} These studies were used to write the Olympic Committee's safety guidelines for pregnant athletes in 1998.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}
Allred was featured in Redbook magazine,Redbook Magazine July 2003 issue FIT magazine,FIT Magazine August 2003 issue - pages 46-48 and Oxygen magazineOxygen Magazine September 2003 issue - pages 71-75 in articles about her expertise on health and exercise during pregnancy.
Allred was featured in Real Simple magazineReal Simple Magazine July 2012 issue article titled 'Sole Sisters' as a coach and mentor for women in sports.
She has also been featured in several books as an expert on fitness and exercise.
- The Athletic Woman's Sourcebook:: How To Stay Healthy And Competitive In Any Sport by Janis Graham (1999)The Athletic Woman's Sourcebook:: How To Stay Healthy And Competitive In Any Sport - pages 156-157, 182-184
- The Women's Home-Based Business Book of Answers by Maria T. Bailey (2001)The Women's Home-Based Business Book of Answers - pages 3-4, 7-8, 16-17, 33-34, 67-68, 142, 197-198, 203, 230, 336
- Hard Fought Victories: Women Coaches Making a Difference by Sara Gogol (2002)Hard Fought Victories: Women Coaches Making a Difference - page 197
- Driving Forces: Inside the First U.S. Women's Olympics Bobsled Team by Tammi Wark Marcoullier (2002)Driving Forces: Inside the First U.S. Women's Olympics Bobsled Team - pages 1-101
- The Daring Female's Guide to Ecstatic Living: 30 Dares for a More Gutsy and Fulfilling Life by Natasha Kogan (2006)The Daring Female's Guide to Ecstatic Living: 30 Dares for a More Gutsy and Fulfilling Life - pages 122-125
- The Martial Arts Woman: Motivational Stories of Human Triumph by Andrea F. Harkins (2016)The Martial Arts Woman: Motivational Stories of Human Triumph - pages 153-156
=Advocacy=
The Allred family moved from Ohio to Midlothian, Texas (cement capital of Texas) in 2001. Alexandra's youngest child, then two-year-old Tommy, had a sequence of cases of pneumonia, bronchitis, and other asthma related complications.{{cite web|url=http://earthjustice.org/50states/alexandra-allred|title=Alexandra Allred|date=27 April 2011|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcia-g-yerman/asthma-and-clean-air-one-_b_915652.html|title=Asthma and Clean Air: One Mother's Fight in Texas|first=Marcia G.|last=Yerman|website=HuffPost|date=2 August 2011|publisher=}} In 2008, the elementary school was named by the USA Today{{Cite web |url=http://content.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/smokestack/index |title=USA TODAY Special Report – the Smokestack Effect – Toxic Air and America's Schools |access-date=2017-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212215013/http://content.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/smokestack/index |archive-date=2010-12-12 |url-status=dead }} as being in the upper 1% of most toxic schools in the nation. In 2006, Alex, as a part of Downwinders at Risk,{{cite web|url=http://www.downwindersatrisk.org/|title=Downwinders at Risk — Cleaner Air Through Citizen Action|website=www.downwindersatrisk.org}} went to talk to Congress about clean air regulations. There she and her son Tommy met with future-President, then-Senator, Barack Obama and Senator Dick Durbin,{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/05/27/tommy-allred-meets-president|title=Tommy Allred Meets the President|date=27 May 2011|website=Obamawhitehouse.archives.gov|accessdate=2017-07-23}}{{cite web|url=http://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/How_I_Met_The_President_Tommy_Allred.pdf |title=How I Met the President |website=Earthjustice.org |accessdate=2017-07-23}} and was nominated as a White House Champion of Change in Public Health in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/champions#section-nominate|title=Champions of Change|website=The White House}}
=Writing=
Allred wrote White Trash (2016).{{cite book|title=White Trash|first=Alexandra|last=Allred|date=15 October 2016|publisher=Next Chapter Publishing|isbn = 978-1941398135}} She wrote Damaged Goods (2012) which won the Independent Publisher's Silver medal.{{cite book|title=Damaged Goods|first=Alexandra|last=Allred|date=14 September 2012|publisher=The Writer's Coffee Shop|isbn = 978-1612131337}} The Allie Lindell Series of mystery novels contains Roadkill (2013), Sweet Breath, and Anniversary Killer.
Her 2013 book, Swingman, was the inspiration for the documentary Swingman by filmmaker Mark Birnbaum.{{cite web|url=http://www.dallasfilmcommission.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/FRAME-OF-MIND-Brings-Indie-Films-to-KERA-Sep-4-Nov-27.pdf |title=FRAME OF MIND BRINGS INDEPENDENT FILMS TO KERA |website=Dallasfilmcommission.com |accessdate=2017-07-23}}
She's contributed to several books on fitness and dog training.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/fashion/21fitness.html|title=A Best Friend, Yes. Best Runner, Maybe Not.|date=21 January 2010|website=The New York Times}} Best Breast Exercises: Simple Steps to Lift & Shape your Breasts (Fit Expert Series) (Volume 2) (2014) and Get Fit For Your Pregnancy: Simple Exercises To Help You Look Great & Feel Energized Through Your Pregnancy (Fit Expert Series Book 4) (2012).
In 2005, she was recruited by Volvo to test drive and then write about driving their prototype 'Extreme Gravity Car' then featured in Volvo Magazine.Volvo Magazine 2005 Issue 2 - pages 38-43
Allred was diagnosed with dyslexia while at Texas A&M and has made it a mission to visit schools to speak to children and young adults with dyslexia to break the "I'm dumb" stigma. Allred cites that writing books is what made her overcome the stigma.{{Cite web|url=https://www.alexandraallred.com/about|title=About|website=www.alexandraallred.com|access-date=2019-05-03}}
Selected works
= Fiction =
- Code (2001)
- Atticus Weaver and His Triumphant Leap from Outcast to Hero and Back Again (2002)
- My Gaza (2003)
- Damaged Goods (2012)
- Swingman: What a Difference a Decade Makes (2010)
- Roadkill (2013)
- Sweet Breath (2013)
- She Cries (2014)
- Anniversary Killer (2014)
- White Trash (2016)
= Non-fiction =
- Atta Girl! A Celebration of Women in Sports (2000)
- Entering the Mother Zone: Balancing Self, Health & Family (2000)
- Passion rules! Inspiring 'Women in Business (2000)
- Teaching Basic Obedience: Train the Owner, Train the Dog (2001)
- Personal Hygiene (2004)
- Physical Activity (2004)
- Dogs' Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Historic Hounds, Professional Pooches, and Canine Oddities (2004)
- Disease Prevention: Healthy Living (2005)
- Nutrition (2005)
- Cats' Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Mysterious Mousers, Talented Tabbies, and Feline Oddities (2005)
- Athletic Scholarships for Dummies (2005)
- Operation We-Got-This!: Taking On Senior Age, Dementia & Alzheimer's (2016)
- PAS: Fitness for All (2016)
References
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Category:20th-century American novelists
Category:21st-century American novelists
Category:20th-century American women writers
Category:21st-century American women writers
Category:American expatriates in the Soviet Union
Category:American female bobsledders
Category:American women novelists
Category:Texas A&M University alumni
Category:Tarleton State University alumni
Category:Writers from Frankfurt