When I first started this project back in January, I didn’t really have any expectations of what we would achieve. It had never been done before on Global BC, so no one really know what would happen. As I went through all the applicants and chose the 21 people who would take part in this experiment, it was a bit of a blind leap of faith. On paper and over the phone, it’s not always easy to figure out just who is on the other end. I wanted to find people who were enthusiastic, excited, and ready to make a commitment to a healthier lifestyle.
WOW. Four months later and I can’t believe these are the same people we started with. Along the way, as they have learned new healthy habits from the St. Paul’s Hospital’s Healthy Heart Program dietitians and the trainers at Endorphin Junkies, we have all learned from them. I have been moved and touched by the incredible inner strength and transformation I have seen in all of the participants. The dedication and commitment they showed to finally changing their lifestyles has been impressive. I joined them in their Group Fit classes and every week, they motivated me to kick it up a notch. Every time the group got together, the energy in the room went up several notches. The buzz was incredible.
I often get asked about the physical changes over the 4 month period, but for me, the most wonderful change I witnessed was on the inside. The first time the group met, back in February, they were rather glum, a bit surly, and generally not that happy. As they started to see results, without drastic lifestyle changes, the smiles came out, and there was a lot more laughter. By the end, I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. They were loving life and many talked about a new lease on life.
A big THANK YOU goes out to Kay McQueen and Shauna Ratner, dietitians at St. Paul’s Hospital Heart Centre. And the wonderful trainers at Endorphin Junkies – Kimberley Payne, Pieter van der Linde, Rob Tubajon, Junior Mulingtapang, Ally Gray, Mark Wickstead, Erin Tetarenko, Sean Tobin and Nicola Scott.
I also want to thank a few other companies who supported this endeavour:
Suki’s Hair Salon (for the fabulous makeovers)
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Peter Schwagly of Bodycomp Imaging
It’s been an honour to work with such a wonderful group of people. As a news reporter, it’s not often you get to follow a “good news” story for so long. Yes, it was a lot of work, but it was absolutely worth it. I coudn’t be more proud of each and every one of them.
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