Backers of fitness honored for work

And the fitness award goes to …

The Arkansas Governor’s Council on Fitness has named the winners of its annual Leadership in Fitness Awards.

Ten honorees were selected from nominations submitted by the public - in other words, their friends, employers, co-workers or themselves.

Bernadette Gunn Rhodes of North Little Rock, Betty Williams of Bryant and Pam Keese of Searcy won individual categories - Rhodes for her personal commitment to fitness, Williams as a very active senior citizen and Keese as an outstanding P.E. teacher.

Rhodes coordinates her city’s Fit2Live program, which tied with the city of Lake Village as joint winners in the “Built Environment to Increase Physical Activity” category.

A class at Ouachita Baptist University, Adaptive Physical Education Methods, won as “Outstanding Group.” Led by Terry DeWitt, the class partnered with Arkadelphia’s Central Primary School to organize recess activities for 175 second-graders.

Bishop Park Community Center in Bryant won the award for a health and fitness center; Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff won the business category; and Central Arkansas Water won the governmental agency award.

Batesville will be honored for its Greenway and Riverwalk trails. According to a news release announcing the awards, these trails were designed to connect downtown businesses, White River Medical Center, parks and community gardens.

Planned extensions will connect the system to the Batesville High School track.

HIGHLIGHTS

According to the release, the Chicot County city of Lake Village has embraced first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative, forming a coalition of area agencies and businesses to improve public health. The coalition conducted a formal “walkability” assessment to plan sidewalk and road work that invites residents to walk and bicycle more without endangering their lives. The Chicot County Hometown Health Improvement Coalition plans to reassess walkability there in 2014.

In addition, the Delta city’s Community Outreach Center offers free fitness classes, monthly health screenings, weight management programs and fitness equipment, and the Healing Hearts campaign invited residents to join a 10-week fitness program.

North Little Rock’s Fit-2Live health initiative is applying a $1.5 million Communities Putting Prevention to Work grant from the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The city office’s goal is facilitating wellness on many fronts, from free programs about health at the library to urban gardening to improving snack food choices for city workers.

In the Built Environment category, Fit2Live has sponsored walkability studies leading to street and curb improvements, trail improvements and shared lane markings on city streets. Fit2Live has repaired community ball courts and playgrounds and installed fitness equipment in public parks. Recently it began providing bike racks to businesses and organizations that request them.

Rhodes, who won as outstanding individual, serves on state and city committees that aim to foster public wellness in her work with North Little Rock’s Fit2Live. She also bikes to work and errands, and she has become a licensed cycling instructor trained by the League of American Bicyclists.

Williams, 76, has completed seven marathons, 40 half-marathons and many other footraces, all after retiring. She is an active member of the Saline County Striders Running Club and mentor to beginners in her city’s Women Run Arkansas clinic, a 10-week running program culminating in a 5K.

Keese, a P.E. teacher at Harding Academy in Searcy,organized a before-class running club so students could participate in the Little Rock Marathon’s Little Rockers program. According to the release, this became so popular the “100 Mile Club” is now a year-round program. Keese ran a marathon to raise money for the American Diabetes Association. She also was a content instructor for the state Department of Education’s licensure program, and was Cooperative Teacher of the Year for her work mentoring student teachers.

The winners will be the stars at an awards ceremony, 5 p.m. Oct. 4 in the Marriott Little Rock. Tickets ($50) must be reserved by noon Oct. 1 by contacting Linda Kyzer at (501) 378-6651 or ljkyzer@ arkbluecross.com.

ActiveStyle, Pages 25 on 09/23/2013

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