Camille Adana 

has been inspiring teens and young adults for 20+ years as a coach and teacher of health and leadership in Portland, Oregon. She is also the creator of ADANA Dynamics, a five-step process that inspires people of all ages and stages of life to set goals and achieve their dreams. Camille holds a BA in Physical and Health Education, with a teaching certificate, from Concordia University in Portland, Oregon; a BS in Health and Fitness Promotions from Portland State University; and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction, Secondary Education, from Concordia University. Camille played college basketball and softball at Concordia University and finished her career playing Division 1 softball at Portland State University. 

I’ve experienced just about every hardship you can imagine, starting from the day I was born. I was premature, weighing only 3 pounds and 9 ounces. I fought for my life without even knowing it, and have been fighting ever since.

This drive, this internal motivation, got me through a childhood filled with almost every imaginable challenge. I grew up in a dirt poor family, with parents who were drug- and alcohol-addicted. My father was physically and emotionally violent. I had learning difficulties and missed major pieces of my early education because we were constantly getting evicted and moving from place to place. I was sexually abused. I’ve had health problems. I’ve experienced racism as the blond-haired, light-skinned daughter of a Filipino man. I’ve had depression and suicidal thoughts.

However, these circumstances didn’t break me. I wanted a better life for myself, and I had a lot of intrinsic motivation to go after it. But I also had great forces of external motivation. I’m blessed that I had phenomenal people in my world—teachers, coaches, and role models—who gave me an outside perspective and inspired me to aspire. I went on to have a successful career as a high school and college athlete, which included a full-ride scholarship to college. As an athlete, I was voted 18 times to be the most inspirational player on the team. After college, I went on to a 16-year (and counting) career in education, teaching physical education, health, and leadership, and coaching volleyball, basketball, and softball. It was those early mentors and role models who inspired me to become a teacher. It’s my way of giving back and paying it forward.

Adana Dynamics

ADANA Dynamics, a success process that inspires readers of all ages to deal with their past, aspire to the future, and create a life they’re proud of.

ADANA Dynamics has five parts, each building upon the other:

A: Acknowledge Your Current Reality
D: Deal with Yesterday
A: Aspire for Tomorrow
N: No-Nonsense Approach
A: Accountability

This step-by-step process is not strictly for teenagers or early adolescents. The ADANA Dynamics have always been a process I’ve used to grow through the hard, confusing times that we experience as humans, no matter our age or stage or life. I encourage you to use this approach for yourself. The more we look within, the more dynamic of a role we can play in others’ lives. It also doesn’t hurt for us to feel the improvement and exhilaration in our own lives. 

Motivate From Within

I want to motivate you just as those teachers, coaches, and role models motivated and supported me during a time when I really needed it. 

Sometimes I’m amazed that I’m here—writing this motivational book from the perspective of a healthy, happy adult. People who don’t know my history are shocked when they find out. Why are they shocked? Because most people let hardship keep them down their whole lives. Not me. I’m living proof that you can overcome your past and create a fulfilling future for yourself. You’ve got your own story, your own traumas and dramas. We all do. But I’m here to tell you: Don’t give up on yourself. 

I’m a candid person, and throughout this book I share details of my personal story to help illuminate the philosophy and strategies that have allowed me to thrive. I’m grateful for my past, and I share it with you in hopes that, one day, you too will be grateful for your past.