Published: February 02, 2008 11:35 pm            

Fitness Challenge returns for third year

Couples take over competition

A new year means another round of the Kokomo Tribune and Club Fitness 24’s Fitness Challenge.

Now in its third year of existence, the challenge has helped locals shed hundreds of pounds and make positive changes in their lifestyle.

Once again, 10 brave people looking to shed pounds and improve their lives have been chosen for the grueling 13-week endeavor.

The contest officially begins Monday. Each Sunday the Kokomo Tribune will provide updates on the challengers’ progress and also post each individual’s blog online at kokomotribune.com.

Contestants were selected by a team at Club Fitness 24 and the Kokomo Tribune based on several factors, including overall health, fitness history, body mass index, availability and enthusiasm.

Though we would have loved to pick even more challengers from the nearly 300 entries received, that simply wasn’t an option.

But if you applied for this year’s Fitness Challenge and weren’t selected, don’t fret.

Kim and Chad Coy [the owners of Powerhouse Gym since 1995] are sincerely dedicated to making Kokomo a healthier place to live and to see the citizens become more active. Having said that, they will be sending each person who submitted an entry a free pass to try out the facility and hopefully adopt a healthier lifestyle.

In the meantime, here’s an introduction to this year’s Fitness Challenge participants.

A new face

This year’s Fitness Challenge promises to be different than the previous two years.

For starters, Erin Shultz is not representing the Kokomo Tribune in the challenge after doing so for the past two years. Erin has transformed herself into the office’s resident fitness guru, now giving tips to coworkers and she even works part time as a fitness instructor at the gym.

These days she’s the girl who skips around the office and urges others to join her for a workout at the gym. And she wonders why people throw things at her.

In her place, I’ll be the Kokomo Tribune’s representative for this year’s Fitness Challenge. I must admit I’m aiming much lower than Erin, I have no desire to become a trainer, I’m just hoping to survive.

And I’m bringing my lovely wife, Courtney, along for the ride.

That’s right, this year we’re doing Couple’s Fitness Challenge. For what it’s worth, we began planning for this long before the popular TV show Biggest Loser announced the same theme for this season.

Now excuse me while I go throw something at Erin for talking me into this.

        

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