SEARCY, Ar. (LP) — The Blue and You Fitness Challenge first began as the Arkansas Fitness Challenge in 2004. In 2008, the contest name changed to the Blue and You Fitness Challenge to encompass its enormous growth. It has become a nationwide competition! The three-month pilot program was a fun way to help companies practice wellness activities and encourage their employees to increase their physical activity and address weight loss and management.
Mrs. Charlotte Davis, the Searcy Child Nutrition Director, thought it was a great idea to tell the teachers about this new challenge to show the rest of the world that Searcy, Arkansas got it! They are very confident winning this year so they’re gonna go a long way. “We got 2nd place in the state last year for our division (groups with 100+ participants), so I am really hoping for 1st place this year!” said Mrs. Davis.
We have 176 district employees signed up for the Challenge this year, and they are divided into 8 teams to help boost participation:
SHS Sensations–Bobbi Green
Sweating it Ahlf–Megan Guthrie
SWMS Good Vibes–Sheila DeShazo
Gurchiek’s GOAL Diggers–James Gurchiek
Deener Divas & 2 Dashing Dues–Ellie Lamb
Westside Workout Warriors–Ronda Fischer & Claire Martin (co-captains)
Rough Riders (Transportation)–Brad Jenkins
District Dynamos–Charlotte Davis
She also says to introduce us to the team names. I was able to speak to one of Mrs. Charlotte Davis’s fellow captains, Mrs. Bobbi Green, a math teacher for Searcy High School. She had a lot of information to tell me and I appreciate it. “This year I am serving as the Searcy High School Team Leader for the Blue and You Fitness Challenge. My role basically is to motivate and encourage my team-mates to stay committed and complete the challenge,” Mrs. Green says. She is very confident and the SHS Sensations winning the challenge this year. “I am so confident in our team! Our individual leaderboard keeps changing which tells me we have competitive people on our team. Competitive personalities come from goal driven people who are in it to win it!” Mrs. Green said, “And, although we are still behind Westside Elementary and the Transportation Department…we will conquer the challenge and defeat our rivals! Go SHS!” At the moment, the Transportation Department is in first place and the Searcy High School is in second place.
So how do you win this question you might ask. “The Blue and You Fitness Challenge is an accountability system for promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. Participants are committing to become more active and logging their exercises in exchange for points. Teams with highest average points per participant wins the challenge. Searcy High School is one sub-team for the entire district. The Searcy Public School District is competing against other schools and businesses across the state,” Mrs. Green said. So make sure you root for your teachers to help them do their best!
