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Record numbers participate in At Work Challenge

In its fourth year, more teams participated than ever before in the 2016 Daily Herald's Fittest Loser At Work Challenge, as evidenced by the buoyant crowd at the Fittest Loser finale event Tuesday, May 10.

Local companies, police and fire departments, medical offices, schools and park district employees created five-person teams to compete in the contest, sponsored by Assurance and AMITA Health. A total of 57 teams participated — a remarkable increase since the At Work competition began.

Nearly 300 participants kicked off the 12-week challenge in February, and were recently rewarded for their efforts.

Posting the most percentage of pounds lost and placing first in the contest was Pounds for Blue from the Hanover Park Police Department, with team captain George Sullivan and members Mike Nowak, Chuck Plaia, Dan Granias and Kevin Pini.

The five-man team lost a total of 116 pounds, or 10.33 percent of its original weight.

Sullivan said officers wanted to do their part to maintain a good relationship with the public, which was part of their reason for joining the challenge.

“The view of the police has not been so good, in this country,” Sullivan said. “I thought if we could show our citizens that we're regular people, just like them, with the same issues, it would change their views. We're glad to be a positive influence.”

The Pounds for Blue team plans to maintain the weight loss, and some members will continue to work on losing additional weight, Sullivan said. “This has opened our eyes to our unhealthy habits and we will continue to live a healthier lifestyle.”

The team was awarded $2,000, half from Assurance and half from the Daily Herald Media Group, to donate to charity. They are donating half the winnings to Illinois Special Olympics and half to Hanover Park's War Dog Memorial, a recent addition to the town's Veterans Memorial.

Members of the team also received $100 gift cards from Deer Park Town Center, athletic shoes and insoles from Dick Pond, and Beats wireless headphones from Assurance.

Not too far behind the police officers was a team from the Schaumburg Park District, the Schaumburg Shredders, earning second place for losing 146.5 pounds, or 9.68 percent of their combined starting weight. Captain Colette Madsen helped team members Sandy Harris, Ed Christenson, Matt Gaynor and Fred Gonzini in their efforts.

“It was really such a team effort. I trained them once a week,” said Madsen who is a personal fitness trainer. “A nutritionist through AMITA also met with the team three times, once as an entire group and individually, two times. She gave real-life examples and made adjustments to their diets.”

The Shredders took advantage of some of the free offerings from event sponsors. One worked out at Orangetheory Fitness, some participated in the indoor 5K at the Elk Grove Village pavilion and they did the At Work meditation webinar offered by Unfold Yoga.

“I think they all found benefits of consistent good nutrition and activity,” Madsen said. “We won't let them stop. They're a team, and they have a different bond with each other now.”

Two teams tied for third place, both losing well over 7 percent of their total body weight — The Waist Eliminators from TWE Inc., and Withering aWeigh from Clearbrook.

The Waist Eliminators team from TWE Inc. was led by team captain and TWE President Jennifer Bunger. Participating teammates were Patricia Glade, Caitlin Wiser, Debbie Albee and Garry Kiekens.

Withering aWeigh from Clearbrook was led by their captain, Kristen Daniels. Participating team members included Tim Jones, Kelly Neurauter, Lindsey Mahoney, Dan Reitsma and Grace Smiley.

Two overall winners were honored for their exceptional efforts as well.

Fred Gonzini of Schaumburg, who participated with the second-place Schaumburg Shredders team, lost a total of 20 percent of his starting weight to earn the title of top overall male participant.

Erin Brooks claimed the top overall female honor, having lost 17 percent of her starting weight. She participated on the Wheeling High School Wildcats team.

In all, 25 At Work participants lost 10 percent or more of their starting weight and 18 participants lost 8 to 9 percent of their starting weight.

A new award this year went to an At Work volunteer, team captain Karen Loring, who has been a tireless supporter of the effort for the past three years.

She was given the first Fittest Loser Champion Award, created in honor of and in memory of the Daily Herald's Gerry Alger, who passed away this year after fighting cancer for two years. Alger participated in the challenge in 2011, writing about her journey as well as the contestants' journeys, and every year since then was a tireless champion of the effort, helping to plan it, organize coverage of it and help motivate contestants and At Work participants.

Loring championed two teams this year at her place of employment, Nicoat, a coatings manufacturer — NicoatFit and Refine our Coats. She has been a true cheerleader for the program, both within her workplace, and the community at large, even promoting the program among her human resources peers at other companies in the region, said M. Eileen Brown, Daily Herald vice president/director of strategic marketing and innovation, in presenting her the award.

  The Waist Eliminators Inc., tied for third place in the Fittest Loser At Work Challenge. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
  The Schaumburg Shredders of the Schaumburg Park District placed second in the At Work team contest. Team members, from left, Fred Gonzini, Sandy Harris and Matt Gaynor, celebrate with their winnings at the finale. Gonzini lost 20 percent of his body weight, making him the top overall male participant. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
Withering aWeigh team from Clearbrook tied for third place in the Fittest Loser At Work Challenge. Courtesy of Clearbrook
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