They are 11 people on a vital mission. They are your neighbors, friends, family and co-workers and, this week, they embarked on a life-changing adventure to invigorate their health and, collectively, shed more than 800 pounds.
They are the first participants in The Biggest Loser-Huntersville.
Inspired by Huntersville's own Emily Joy, a contestant on the current season of the television show The Biggest Loser, and spurred on by local health and fitness institutions, the weight-loss teammates united for the first time Monday and immediately began the 10-week exercise and healthy eating cycle prescribed by Huntersville Family Fitness & Aquatics Center and Fleet Feet in Birkdale Village.
With support from fellow sponsors Earth Fare, Lakeside Family Physicians and the Lake Norman Citizen, HFFA and Fleet Feet are supervising the program designed to help the selected candidates make progress toward their weight and fitness goals. After a brief orientation session Monday evening, the group's first event was a 1.7-mile trek through the rain in The Park-Huntersville
"You could already see some of the participants exchanging numbers, sharing stories and getting to know each other," says Dee Jetton, executive director of HFFA. "The group came together very nicely and I sincerely believe they will be very supportive of one another."
Unlike the television show, The Biggest Loser-Huntersville is more of a cooperative effort than a competition. HFFA and Fleet Feet have devised a variety of exercise and educational programs focused on helping participants re-shape their bodies and alter their lifestyles in a healthier direction. For at least 10 hours a week for the next 10 weeks, participants will be provided structured activities and instruction designed to help them reach their weight-loss objectives.
Weigh-ins will be held each week to update individual progress and, according to Jetton, each others' success will be the primary motivational tool to convince all participants that their goals are within reach.
The Biggest Loser-Huntersville team includes seven folks from Huntersville, two Cornelius residents and one person each from Mooresville and Charlotte. They range in age from 31 to 52, they weigh between 203 and 300 pounds, and they have individual weight loss goals of between 50 and 111 pounds. Each one is different, and has made a full, open and honest commitment to the program. They have shared their stories and their goals and they have, together, begun their journey.
Meet the team:
• Rick Christian, Huntersville. Age, 53. Weigh-in,265. Ultimate goal weight, 185.
Christian says he has always fought off weight issues, but a job loss nearly one year ago turned the tide of the battle against him.
"When I was younger I was much more active and weight wasn't as much of a problem," Christian says. "As my activity level has stopped dramatically since I lost my job in February 2010, my health has deteriorated and my weight keeps going up."
Christian wants 2012 to be his turn-around year. "I am determined to improve my health and make myself more employable and get my confidence back."
• Debbie Dirkse, Cornelius. Age, 56. Weigh-in, 217. Ultimate goal weight, 150.
Dirkse has already made great strides to reduce her weight. She has lost 50 pounds in the last 18 months, but feels to reach her goals she needs the team atmosphere.
"I knew I had to do something to escape my unhealthy weight, the sadness, isolation and fatigue," she says. "I've been stalled for quite a time now and I am trying to not get discouraged."
Dirkse admits to neglecting her own health for 30 years while taking care of her parents, her disabled sister, her children and friends. But now she is ready to work toward her goal. "I have the support of my family, my job and, most importantly, I am committed to me. I can't wait to finally be who I am on the inside."
• David Ginn, Huntersville. Age, 52. Weigh-in, 265. Ultimate goal weight, 215.
Ginn remembers being fit and trim before business stress and other life factors pushed his own health off his priority list. He said his weight has yo-yoed in recent years and his body and lifestyle are now suffering due to his weight.
"My knees hurt," he says, "and the snoring I do now because of the weight is driving my wife crazy." He says he had to sell his business last year and now wants to make other changes to improve his life.
"I need to be around for a long time," Ginn says. "I am ready to make this change permanently and set a good example for my family. I want to show people that weight gain doesn't 'happen to them' and that permanent change can be done."
• Scott Hannay, Charlotte. Age, 48. Weigh-in, 300. Ultimate goal weight, 240.
Hannay was motivated to shed the weight by life lessons from his family. His daughter, Zoe, was born on Christmas Eve 2004 with a genetic disorder that required a kidney transplant when she was 11 months old. After the surgery, she came home from the hospital on her first birthday. She has overcome other setbacks and, on her seventh birthday last month, Hannay says the desire to change his own life overwhelmed him.
"I started thinking if this little girl can overcome all these obstacles she has had before her," he says, "then I should be able to overcome a thing like obesity."
Hannay wants to use the program to help himself and his entire family live healthier lives. "I want to live to see my children graduate from college and get married," he says. "I want to be physically active and improve my health and well being so I can enjoy life with my wife and kids."
• Howard Kaplan, Cornelius. Age, 42. Weigh-in, 291. Ultimate goal weight, 200.
Kaplan has fought weight issues his entire life, but he wants to finally win the battle for himself and his family. He remembers successfully losing weight to qualify for football in the seventh grade, and athletics helped keep his weight under control through college. But business demands and lifestyle conspired to put the weight back on. His young children provided the push he needed to sign up for the program in an effort to re-gain an active lifestyle.
"I want to set a good example for them and be around for them," he says. "I feel this program will give me the structure I need to get me back to the level of health and fitness I desire. I want my kids to be proud of me. I want to look in the mirror and feel good and I know I can do this."
• Kris McCabe, Huntersville. Age, 35. Weigh-in, 256. Ultimate weight goal, 175.
McCabe can't remember a time when she wasn't dealing with a weight issue. In high school, athletics helped her cope, but in college her weight started to bounce. She went through a 50-pound weight loss, but eventually, the weight returned.
"If I don't lose the weight," she says, "I know I am going to have health problems."
McCabe believes the structure of the local program will help her reach and maintain the physical condition she needs to be healthy. "I need help getting motivated and sticking with a regular plan," she says. "Being part of this program seems to be just what I need to get on the right track ... and avoid the dangers of being so overweight."
• Maria Schubert, Huntersville. Age, 38. Weigh-in, 203. Ultimate weight goal, 150.
A battle with cancer disrupted Schubert's healthy lifestyle. At 32, the mother of three was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery that left a 12-inch scar on her abdomen, caused lingering problems with her abdominal muscles and severely limited her exercise options.
"I have struggled with my weight since that happened," she says. "I now look six months pregnant and people often ask me if I am."
Schubert says she is determined to show herself and others that the setbacks can be overcome. "I am a nurse and want to be an example to my patients," she says. "... I want to be healthier for my family and me. I am at the point of being sick and tired of being sick and tired."
• Chris Wages, Huntersville. Age, 31. Weigh-in, 272. Ultimate weight goal, 205.
Just a few years ago, Wages was preparing to join the military at around 179 pounds. A career change away from military service led to a loss in motivation and a lifestyle change that led directly to exercising less and eating more. A long-term battle with migraines also prevented the establishment of a regular exercise routine.
"When I kicked the illness, I continued on with the horrible habits I had developed," he says, "and found myself nearly 100 pounds heavier than my svelte 179." Now, Wages wants help and guidance to get back to the person he was.
"I want to be the biggest loser so I can regain my energy, be the confident man I was before," he says, "and enjoy life with my beautiful wife."
• Stephanie Ann Weller, Huntersville. Age, 32. Weigh-in, 239. Ultimate goal weight, 150.
The stress of coping with a family tragedy overwhelmed Weller and contributed directly to the weight issues she now wants to overcome. "We tragically lost our daughter several years ago and that has changed my life forever," she says.
Weller, married 11 years, says her husband and four sons have been very supportive and that she is now ready to face her demons head-on. "I turned food into an outlet and a way to manage the stress of life," she says. "I am tired of feelings of self-pity; I am tired of being fat. I am emotionally ready to take on this journey to better myself and the lives of my husband and four boys. I can't wait to have more energy, better health and be the confident person I know I can be."
• Kristen Winseman, Mooresville. Age, 45. Weigh-in, 246. Ultimate weight goal, 135.
Caring for others led to Winseman's neglect of her own health and fitness. When her father was diagnosed with lymphoma, Winseman said she became completely focused on his care. "In the first four months," she says, "I put on 70 pounds and didn't even realize it."
When her father died, she basically stayed in bed for two weeks to deal with the depression and exhaustion. She admits to continuing to put the needs of others ahead of her own, but realizes she has to find a better balance. "I have had to learn that saying no to others is okay and that I need to take care of myself as well as I have taken care of others," she says. "I am tired of being fat. I am ready to take this courageous step and become the Kristen Winseman, the girl, I know is hiding inside."
• Susan Lamoureux, Huntersville. Age, 52. Weigh-in, 235. Ultimate goal weight, 160.
Five years ago, Lamoureux was an active, 170-pounder involved in a variety of activities. Now she has been warned by her doctor that she is a prime candidate for a variety of ailments related to her condition.
"I went from a fairly active individual playing tennis several times a week to a sedentary 52-year-old time bomb in just a few years," she says. Lamoureux admits that she loves to cook and that hobby, combined with an assortment of minor injuries that limited her exercise, contributed to her current condition. The potential for health issues like diabetes, high-blood pressure or worse "for an individual who hates to take medicine" provided the motivation to lose weight and The Biggest Loser-Huntersville opportunity arrived just in time.
"I am now ready and willing to commit to making this happen," she says, "but I need major help."
