Five teams of four participated in the Heart of the Tiger Steps to a Healthier Heart Challenge. The winner will be announced tonight at the University of Missouri women’s basketball game against South Carolina in Mizzou Arena. Meet the five teams that braved the cold and snow to tally more than 3.6 million steps.
Red Hot Tickers
Janelle Lutz, Heather Ottinger, Jeannie Hayward and Stephanie Parsons know each other through a local Facebook fitness group. Though they can rarely meet at the same place at the same time, they “virtually” walk together, checking in every day to encourage each other in their fitness goals. The Red Hot Tickers have 11 kids total, so they take steps where they can find them, whether by taking laps while the kids are at practice, parking far from the grocery store or playing with their kids. They each have weight loss goals, and they hope to use the Steps to a Healthier Heart Challenge to give them an extra push through to the finish line. They are training for various 5Ks this year, and two team members want to complete the Go Girl Run half-marathon this spring.
UCPHCDC
Heather Demand, Miranda Fernandez, Katy Bridgeman and Angel Cooper teach at a preschool in Columbia and want to set a good example for their students. They want to stay healthy so they can keep up with preschoolers throughout their entire careers. When the weather is nice, they will hold “walking meetings,” and walk around the neighborhood during team meetings rather than sit at a desk. The team ran the Black and Gold run together, and between the four of them they will run various 5Ks, a half- marathon and complete the Tri-Zou in 2013. They want to prove to the next generation that you can be any age, shape or size and be involved in physical activities and healthy lifestyles
Sweethearts for Healthy Hearts
Monica and Ted Korba and Jackie and Tim Albers have been friends and neighbors for nearly four years. Jackie and Monica have trained for multiple events together, starting with the Roots N Blues N BBQ 10K three years ago, which both plan to run in 2013. Ted is training for a half marathon, and Tim is hoping to finish with a sub-three-hour marathon in the 2013 Chicago Marathon. Aside from running, both couples of sweethearts get steps in by being active with their children. Monica works as a nurse, and her time on the cardiac surgery floor has shown her first-hand how keeping your heart healthy can impact your life, as well as the life of your family. Both Jackie and Tim have a family history of heart disease, so being proactive about heart health makes sense for them.
Stepping for Recovery
Tony Rigdon, Andrew Taegel, Shawn Goertz and Kyle Riley are all connected to Phoenix Programs, Inc., a drug and alcohol counseling center that encourages exercise and physical activity to help recover from addiction. All four are active runners, having completed marathons, triathlons and 50-plus-mile endurance runs. They are motivated to keep their hearts healthy through vigorous exercise and healthy living, as well as keeping spiritually and emotionally healthy hearts.
HeartBrokers
Tamala Anderson, Ashley Hester, Melody Derendinger and Janet Murphy work together at House of Brokers Realty Inc. They will sometimes take a 20-30 minute break in the afternoon to get in some steps. The women say that though they have different shapes, sizes and backgrounds, they know that heart disease does not discriminate, and being proactive about health is one way they can increase the likelihood of keeping their hearts healthy for years to come. They each know someone who has been affected by heart disease, and The HeartBrokers hope an active lifestyle can prevent heart issues.
April is Foot Health Awareness Month. Are you taking good care of your feet? Many of the foot and ankle injuries physicians see in the spring and summer result from overactivity.
