Reprinted with permission from The Messenger
by: Lori Harrison, staff writer
Kathy Edwards — drill sergeant of fitness — put the class through its paces.
Jumping jacks.
Running in place.
Pushups.
Just what you’d expect of Survival Boot Camp.
“You work all the muscles you didn’t know you had,” said Misty Strunk.
The class at Trover Health System Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation gives an extra boost to participants in the Survival of the Fittest competition.
“This is a lifestyle change,” said J.W. Durst, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation director. “It’s not just weight loss. It’s improved fitness.” Survival of the Fittest was started by Trover with the participation of the Madisonville Manufacturers Association.
“Essentially, everyone in this competition will win,” Durst said.
Thirty people on five teams are vying for the top prize. The sixth team, made up of Trover employees, is participating but not eligible to win.
“Several years ago, we envisioned a program in which we could influence the community in improving their health and well-being,” Durst said, specifically mentioning obesity levels, fitness and diet. However, the timing wasn’t right, he said.
“This past year, we decided a good approach would be to take it to the Madisonville Manufacturers Association to see if some of the manufacturers would embrace it at the company level,” he said.
Participating companies include McCoy and McCoy Laboratories, Hibbs Electric, International Automotive Components (formerly Lear), GE Aircraft Engines, Hopkins County Economic Development Corp., and Land O’ Frost.
Most teams have members from different companies.
Strunk, who works for IAC, is a member of the Weight Warriors team. She’s participating “for better health.”
Most days, she and her coworkers spend their breaks exercising — walking a mile or two on Industrial Road.
Tim Dukes, who serves as team leader for Omega 6, representing Trover, said one reason he’s participating is to encourage others in the community to take part.
“The main reason is that I want to change the lifestyle for myself and my family,” he said.
Participants go through monthly weigh-ins, fitness assessments and nutrition sessions. Two challenges are set during the six-month competition. The first challenge will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Hudson Toyota. The second will be Jan. 22 at Madisonville-North Hopkins High School.
After each weigh-in, there’s a chance someone from each team will be eliminated from competition.
The individual who has improved the most and has a combined weight loss/fitness gain score of at least 20 percent will win a one-year car lease from Hudson Automotive.
“If you look at the demographics, both nationally as well as statewide, there is without a doubt an obesity epidemic in our country,” Durst said. “We are becoming larger and larger.”
Trover Health System felt committed to help, he said.
“We don’t want to be, ‘Come and see us when you’re sick,’” Durst said. “We would like to do this on an annual basis and ultimately would like to take it out to ... the community at large.”
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