January 12 was the kickoff of the second annual Ultimate Fitness Challenge (UFC) sponsored by the Baptist Health Fitness Center and led by the center’s three fitness trainers, Jeremy Ray, A.D. Abston and Natalie Cannady. The UFC is modeled after the popular reality television show “The Biggest Loser” where employees will compete to see who can lose the most weight in 12 weeks.
A special committee (including last year’s UFC winner) read through numerous applications and then interviewed potential contestants to help select this year’s UFC competitors. Over the course of the program, these six employees will learn about good nutrition, proper exercise techniques, and how to incorporate both to lose weight from their team’s fitness trainer. Along the way there will also be individual and team challenges and competitions to test their new skills.
This year’s teams are:
- TEAM PINK — (Fitness Trainer, Natalie Cannady)
- Sharon Edwards (IA, 10A BHMC-LR)
- Beverly Sayers (LPN, Cornerstone Clinic for Women)
- TEAM GREEN — (Fitness Trainer, Jeremy Ray)
- Robyn Brewer (Medical Assistant, BHFC-Lakewood)
- Kelly Whiley (Patient Rep., Patient Services BHMC-LR)
- TEAM RED — (Fitness Trainer, AD Abston)
- Talayia Johnson (Nurse Educator, Surgical Department BHMC-LR)
- Shane Jones (Program Director, BH Schools of Histotechnology)
Co-workers and family members are invited to attend and cheer on the competitors at the weigh-ins and challenges.
“This is the kind of program that could change someone’s life,” said Cannady. “You could pay for three months of this kind of personal training for about $1,500. We are offering participants in the Ultimate Fitness Challenge a personal trainer at their disposal for free.”
While this weight-loss program uses the concepts from “The Biggest Loser,” one thing it will not do is eliminate contestants along the way. All employees chosen will participate for the entire three months and none will be voted off. Another difference from the television show is that no participants will have to take their shirts off for the weigh-in. Participants wear the same clothes each time and only remove their shoes.
At the kickoff, each contestant weighed in to record their beginning weight. The first challenge was to hold a push up position for as long as possible with the last person staying up being the winner. It was a close battle between Shane Jones and Sharon Edwards, but Jones won in the end with a time of 2 minutes and 43 seconds.
Stayed tuned … we’ll have posts from the contestants and the trainers over the next several weeks!