When Electric Beach Mankato was featured as a Member of the Month salon in 2009, the salon was like many others: They were changing up their look, reaching out to the community and trying to maintain a professional business. In that regard, there isn’t a lot to report: Cynthia Frederick made some equipment changes and added body wraps to the roster. But it’s the work that Cynthia is doing outside of her salon that has caused a national buzz.

After expressing years of passion for the vitamin D cause, Cynthia decided to make a bold statement. She attempted to take on a world record with her bikini parade while spreading the message about vitamin D and natural breast cancer prevention in her Minnesota community. Little did she know, the controversy that kindled from the swimwear would bring the Breast Cancer Natural Prevention Foundation and her salon into the spotlight.

That’s why we’re having Cynthia tell her story — from her intense personal connection to vitamin D to the struggles she faced during this fun and original event. Her passion for educating others and bringing the tanning community together is a great example of how we can all continue to work towards great things.

Click here to read Cynthia’s story in the latest issue of Smart Tan Magazine.