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Community team members ready for final weigh-in

It’s a big day for the Community Challenge. Today is the final weigh-in for the Community Challenge teams, and they will repeat the tests they took 12 weeks ago. Though only one winning team will be announced at the Fittest Loser celebration on May 1, many teams report that no matter the outcome of the final weigh-in, everyone who participated in the Community Challenge is a winner.

The team that loses the greatest percentage of total weight will win the Challenge, but there are many other ways to evaluate the participants’ success. At the weigh-ins, the participants will get a chance to see how their overall health has improved in terms of measurement other than pounds.

While the official weigh-in will be conducted again by the Academy of Athletic Advancement, the nurses from Alexian Brothers Health System will provide the same health screenings they offered at the initial weigh-in — bone density, cholesterol, body fat, blood pressure and stroke risk — giving the participants a chance to see how their lifestyle changes have improved their overall health.

The Hoffman Estates Park District team has already witnessed an improvement to their medical health alongside significant weight loss. Park district fitness supervisor Kathy Wasicki reported that two of her team members have been successfully keeping their diabetes under control.

Team Waist Management of Schaumburg has bounced back from an injury. Renata Chlopek, who was injured in an accident and thought she would have to reduce her participation in late March, has mostly recovered and made her team proud by competing in an 8K race last weekend.

While some teams have been able to report significant weight loss each week, some teams struggled. Every one of the more than 100 participants, however, will leave the Challenge with a better fitness routine, a healthier pantry, and, hopefully, a team support network that lasts after the competition ends.

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