Alpine Health & Fitness Announces ‘Big Bods’ Winner

Fourteen Queenstowners needing to lose at least 20 kilos of extra weight have just got a whole lot smaller thanks to a Lakes Leisure initiative developed with the assistance of Dr Kathryn Smith. An eight week Health & Fitness Challenge designed to get overweight people back in shape recently ended with the overall winner announced.

Vicki Paddon took out the winner’s title at last night’s prize giving, a decision Alpine Health & Fitness manager Richie Heap described as challenging.

“In the end they were all winners. No one pulled out and no one gave in. The dedication the whole group showed was amazing and I think the team culture that developed was a great motivator. One of our guys lost over 16kgs and we had BMI improvements as high as 10. But in the end the winner had to be chosen based on their dedication to an overall lifestyle change and Vicki was that person. I believe her when she tells me she didn’t miss a training session and nothing but healthy food passed her lips for the eight weeks. You can tell by how great she looks that she’s telling the truth!

The group was sponsored by Alpine Health & Fitness with 3 month gym memberships, twice weekly personal training sessions, a weekly group training session (that was said to have ‘ignited a bit of healthy competition’), nutritional support, podiatry and physiotherapy all provided free of charge for the eight weeks.

“We had to take a balanced approach that would ensure all the programme members were not only going to finish a far healthier weight, but that they would leave with life changing skills that will enable them to understand their bodies and manage their long term health better. Watching their fitness levels progress from when many of them struggled to walk around the Events Centre Oval at the beginning, to reaching the top of Tobin’s Track in Arrowtown together 5 weeks later was nothing short of inspiring,” Richie said.

The whole group seemed to share winner Vicki’s sentiments when she described how great it was to be able to walk into a facility like Alpine Health & Fitness and feel like you belong.

“No one ever stared at us or made us feel unwelcome; in fact it was just the opposite. It was like everyone else in the gym was really pleased for us. I never thought I could feel so at home in a gym environment,” Vicki said.

Vicki was rewarded for her efforts with a 6 month membership to Alpine Health & Fitness and a makeover courtesy of Hush Spa.

Lakes Leisure were overwhelmed with applications to join the programme when it was advertised earlier in the year and are working to run the programme again in the new year to accommodate not only the ones who missed out, but anyone else who has recently decided it is time to make some lifestyle changes. Those with at least 20kgs to lose who are interested are urged to contact the programme coordinator rachelle@lakesleisure.co.nz.

Special thanks were given to trainers Jenny Dennison and Haylee Roberts, nutritionist Helen Reid, physiotherapist Louise Sheppard, podiatrist Gareth Milne, Dr. Kathryn Smith, Brookes Shoes and Hush Spa.

ENDS

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