They transformed their Bon Air ranch into a hip-modern space and, this month, over a million virtual visitors will drop by for DIY pointers. “Young House Love is part blog, part Etsy store, part design service,” says Sherry, who left her ad-copywriter job last Spring to manage YoungHouseLove.com, full time. Disgruntled chihuahua, Burger, gripes about life in the Petersik fishbowl at spinoff HamburgersHouse.com. Their first baby arrives in May.<!--StartFragment-->

Sherry: "I never imagined what renovating our first house would do for our relationship. John and I are insanely in love with this old brick ranch—and each other. There's no one I'd rather swing a sledgehammer with.”

John: “Did I see myself blogging about home-design five years ago? No. But it’s something  Sherry and I enjoy doing together, so I’m all in. We rely on each other for support, motivation and inspiration. Not to mention, she fixes my tyops.”

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"I am a feminist because….sexism isn’t just about men; we’re all part of the system. Young women don’t understand how the Women’s Movement affected them. And they haven’t lived the gender bias that still exists in love and work, even today. When they see how Feminism challenges all forms of oppression, they’re transformed. If  we can agree on that, then we’re all feminists."

Debra didn’t use the F-word until she taught Women’s Studies 101 at Randolph Macon College. "There’s a wide generation-gap between women who lived through the Women’s Movement and those who grew up in a Post-Feminist world.” An Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Women’s Studies, Debra works every day to close that gap. 

"I am a feminist because…In a culture that values outward appearances over character traits like integrity, courage, and kindness; young women are literally starving for acceptance. Today, 10 million women have eating disorders. That’s doubled in the past 30 years. Recovery begins when we find the faith to reconnect with our authentic feminine wisdom and spirit.”

A passionate gardener and Virginia Tech football fan, Trish discovered her knack for matchmaking when she introduced her sister to her obstetrician. “They got married.” A nutrition therapist, she empowers women with eating disorders to nourish themselves in body and spirit.

I’m a feminist because…

“My Asian immigrant parents believed the phrase ‘all men are created equal’ applied to women, too. They raised their daughters knowing that we could be anything from an astronaut to the Secretary of State. The word ‘feminism’ is really about equality. Everybody should be a feminist.”

Her family left Taiwan for Los Angeles when Rita was just three. A geneticist and professor at VCU Medical School department of Human and Molecular Genetics, she’s working to decode the DNA of two rare diseases. Outside the lab, Rita and her husband Andy, “love swing dancing; we do a mean Lindy Hop.”

Sara, a veteran Public Defender for the City of Richmond, is my Shero because she  mentors the lawyers she supervises while doing a phenomenal job for her clients—people most often dismissed as society’s “untouchables.” The mother of 15-month old, Emmett, Sara is patient, kind, and the coolest person you’ll ever meet in your life.”
~Nominated by Alison Monroe, Richmond, Va.

In the courtroom, Sara champions the under-represented while promoting social causes like mental health and gay rights. In August, she’ll leave the Public Defender’s office to enter open Richmond’s “first liberal law firm.” Among her nine tattoos, the Japanese Koi, which swims upstream, “symbolizes the struggle to overcome life’s challenges.”
 

A founding mother of Volunteer Ministries Community and Freedom House, Elaine’s worked for the Richmond Peace Education Center, YWCA and, now, the Partnership for People with Disabilities at VCU. Active in her church and the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Richmond, Elaine’s my Shero because she inspires everyone she meets to celebrate life’s challenges.
 ~Nominated by her proud friend, Ginnie Morrow

Elaine signed the first lease on Freedom House in 1983. Daughter Becky, 14, inspires her work matching VCU education trainees with special-needs children and their families. “It adds a real-life component to clinical training. Students discover these kids as people, not clients or patients.” In December, Elaine’s family was adopted by stray Shih Tzu, Trixie—who got her husband, Tom, and three cats in the bargain

When her daughter Virginia (foreground) was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis in 1993, Mary Lloyd launched the Starry Night Gala which has raised over $1 million for CF research. Austin (13) is flexing her fundraising muscles, too. Her Cougar Paws for a Cause team enters the CF Foundation's Great Strides walk on May 16.

Mary Lloyd: "Austin doesn't have CF, but she lives with it. It's exciting to watch her realize how she can help. We don't let it define us. Still, every healthy day is a gift."

Austin: "Mom works hard to keep Virginia healthy. And she gets us everywhere we need to go. It feels good to help not just for my family, but other families with the disease."

As a teenager, Aimee watched races at Richmond International Raceway and wondered What do I have to do to get inside there? Now, as RIR's Director of Public Relations, she and her staff get plenty of track time."We plan press conferences, schedule driver interviews, process press-credentials, and work with the news media." She learned the ropes handling PR for drivers Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne. But outside of her female colleagues at Talledega, Watkins Glen, and Michigan International, she's among the handful of women in the racing business. Being a fan gives her an advantage. "For me, it's the roar of the engines and the smell of the tires. When the cars pass at full speed, you feel like your body's going to explode from the pressure. These guys are risking their lives. It's a thrill." And off the track? "I don't speed," says Aimee, "which seems to make people pretty mad, since they're all in hurry these days."

By day, she oversees quality control for Bostwick Labs. In the rink she's Paris Kills, Cyber rockstar and River City Rollergirls co-captain. "People don't realize I play roller derby until I mention it. Even in the rink, I'm not scary-'til I hit them." As they circle the track, skaters throw moves like Hip Whips and Johnny Crashes. "After a nice Dark Hold or a 69, girls don't want to get back up." With hometown teammates Morticia Murphy, Coco Carnage No. 5, Shake 'n Baker, and Orangyna, she'll tackle rival teams in Charlotte, Raleigh, Philadelphia, and New York. The lure? "Women want a challenging sport that requires strength, agility, and athleticism. It's a great stress reliever." This season, RCR joins the Women's Flat Track Derby Association where they'll earn their first-ever national ranking, says Paris: "We've got twenty players and a host of freshmeat ready compete. I can't wait to see some tournament action."

Biodegradable? Recyclable? Sustainable? "Green talk is the new marketing tool," says Laura Rowell, Director of Sustainable Packaging for Mead Westvaco,"but companies don't always understand the requirements." Laura and fellow corporate giants like Coca Cola, Target, and Estee Lauder/Aveda, collaborate to protect the integrity of green claims. "Consumers want to do something good for the environment, but if they're bombarded with misleading claims, they lose trust," she explains. "We've seen plastic DVD cases with oversized chasing-arrow-symbol cutouts that claim 'reduced packaging.' We're going after them; you can't do that." With a $6.8 billion stake in the packaging market, Laura's role as MWVs marketplace watchdog and environmental steward makes an impact on a grand scale. The company developed the first recycled-fiber hot cups for Starbucks and reduced packaging for products like cereal bars, Sharpies, and CDs. "We're reinventing the box," she says. "Less packaging equals less trucks equals less diesel fuel equals less carbon emissions. It's good news for the environment."

Her to-do list would stagger James Bond: "We're tracking international terrorists, spies, gang members, white-collar criminals," says Jennifer Smith Love. "When crime crosses state lines, we get involved." She began her distinguished career when she moved to D.C. with two suitcases, $500, and an accounting degree. But after her first boss took the FBI entrance exam and failed, he passed the brochures to her."The FBI wasn't exactly known as a friend of the African American community back then. Still, I was intrigued." She's exposed check-fraud operations, embezzlers, and will investigate Bernie Madoff on behalf of Virginians he defrauded. But her greatest satisfaction comes from counterterrorism, the Bureau's top priority since 9/11. "We intercepted a group in London who'd figured out how to conceal explosives in liquids. The three-ounce rule at airports? That was us," she says. "The fact that we haven't seen a terrorist strike since 9/11, doesn't mean the threat is gone. You just never hear about how the FBI-along with state and local law enforcement-work hard every day to prevent terrorist acts from happening in the first place."

At Rigby's Jig, Eleanor and her instructors guide students through the tango, rhumba, salsa, and waltz. Her favorite dance is the West Coast Swing.

"I've toasted marshmallows for S'mores on the White House lawn. We did it on a dare in college. At 3 a.m. Really fast." (True or False?)

"I made the mistake of dating a student only once. At the "party" he steered me straight to the dance floor. Turned out, it was his ex-girlfriend's wedding reception." (True or False?)

"I opened Rigby's Jig in 2003 with $200 and a boom box. Today we teach 50-80 private lessons plus ten group-classes a week. The name combines my Beatle-mania with my Irish roots." (True or False?)