Its official! It took an 11
th hour rally, but our gang of champions has hit their goal in the latest 9 Kids Challenge weigh loss program. Twelve weeks ago, we set the bar extremely high for the 9KIDS with an expectation of 50 pounds of weight loss. In an effort to express myself as an intricate part of this team, I accepted 10 pounds of the responsibility.
On the morning of May 31
st, you could almost hear the butterflies flapping their wings in the tummies of our team! Each one stepped on the scale for the weigh-in, then waited anxiously to hear the results. The final calculations were made, and the results were announced… (drum roll please), and the final total was… 49 pounds! One pound shy of our goal!
With a limo ride to Seabreeze at stake, the group vowed to shed that extra pound in the time remaining in our workout. Although the type of weight-loss they would experience is not the type of long-term weight-loss we’ve been promoting over the course of the challenge, I agreed to let them “sweat it out!” We started some speed drills and other exercises. By noon, the extra work paid off and we could book the limo bus.
The 9 Kids Challenge has offered tremendous opportunities for our group… Daniel, Mark, Sabrina, Claude and Derek. Their hard work has allowed them to take part in many fun and exciting events over the last year… going to an SU football game, marching in the Syracuse St. Patrick’s Parade, even leading the warm-ups for thousands of participants at the American Heart Walk.
The underlying pay-off is that a group of youngsters has changed their lives and lifestyles, with a number of positive changes in their health, their bodies, and the way they interact with peers. We have seen Body Mass Index numbers plummet across the board, over 100 pounds of fat shed, and significant improvement in their performance assessments. Beyond that, there’s the enhancement of several intangible qualities that will change this group for life!
- Joel Brown
Performance Specialist
Training Champions Institute
