Fittest Loser At-Work teams celebrate their success together
The Fittest Loser finale was fueled with the enthusiasm of 38 At-Work teams who found more energy, greater weight loss and a boost in self- esteem through the program.
Not only did the At-Work teams cheer on the Fittest Loser contestants, they cheered on each other.
Leading the charge were the “Pump Supply Pounders” who took first-place bragging rights in the At-Work team competition. The team lost a whopping 11.02 percent of its starting weight of 1130.5 pounds.
“I'm the Grand High Exalted Captain of the team,” joked Ed Poczatek. “I'm very proud of them.”
Poczatek had plenty of experience to handle the captain's duties. Two years ago, he won the individual award. He was also proud that their team member, Jason Gray, won this year's individual award in the At-Work competition with a 40.5-pound weight loss. Close behind him with a 30-pound loss was company owner, Rick Williams.
“I'm a big snacker,” said Williams. “My strategy was to give up snacking after 6 p.m.”
Having Gray's big loss really helped the team. He was excited to take home the individual award.
“I really appreciate the support of the team and of my wife, Melissa,” said Gray. “We live in Aurora and we took classes at the Vaughn Center. I should mention our instructor, Rose Litke, who was awesome.”
The second-place team award went to the Links Dream Team from Links Technology Solutions, Inc. Their team sported a 9.26 percent loss of their starting weight of 1,162 pounds.
Earlier in the competition the team won a cheerleading award at the indoor run in Elk Grove Village. The team made signs and T-shirts and employees didn't just cheer the team on, they cheered every team that went by.
The Links Dream Team also had an individual award winner. Mary Kay Piker dropped 25 pounds and was thrilled. She was an inspiration to her team.
“Mary Kay had such stamina and determination,” said teammate, Alisa Brenzinger. “She was incredible.”
The third-place award went to the “Reduction in Force” team from Management Association. They lost 8.74 percent of their starting weight, 1,055 pounds. Led by Julie Belloli, the team was very supportive of each other and of their captain, declaring her the “best captain ever.”
Belloli was the fifth member of the team and didn't compete since she is expecting a baby. She did motivate the team and did the postings to the Daily Herald's Fittest Loser page.
“They deserve all the credit,”said Belloli. “They did a great job.”
All three teams enjoyed the competition and were very appreciative of the work the Daily Herald had put into the challenge. They all plan to do it again next year.
“In the beginning it was hard,” said Piper. “But the team was great, and it ended up being so much fun.”
That sentiment echoed throughout the finale, not just from the winners but from all the challengers. They spent the evening learning about the sponsors and cheering each other on. It was all about enjoying a healthier lifestyle and they welcomed the opportunity.