FITNESS GURU: Manly Sea Eagles prop, Vic Mauro, dropped by last week to inspire local weight loss competitors, such as Murrumbidgee Medicare Local worker Karen Ingram, to keep on track.
DIET, exercise and visits from sports stars have helped one local group shed more than 50 kilograms in the last few weeks.
Griffith’s participants in the NSW State Knockout Challenge 2012 – a weight loss competition for Indigenous Australians – have been steadily losing weight for the past five weeks but were spurred on with a visit from an NRL legend last week.
Manly Sea Eagles prop Vic Mauro met with a group of the Griffith competitors at Westend Stadium on Friday to show some backing for the NRL-supported program.
“We’re trying to get behind the Indigenous community by building a fitness platform for them,” Mr Mauro said.
“It’s good to be able to be here and show some support and encourage them.”
The 25 members in the group are competing against other teams across NSW for a chance to win thousands of dollars worth of prizes and boast the greatest total amount of weight lost.
Murrumbidgee Medicare Local Aboriginal outreach worker and competition participant Karen Ingram said the weekly get-togethers, as well as diet and exercise tips, had so far helped her to shed more than five kilos.
Each week the competitors have a group weigh-in and
discuss the challenges, tips and recipes they have discovered.
“This is aimed at getting Aboriginal people more involved in health to prevent chronic disease and it also gives them ownership over their own health and well-being,” Mrs Ingram said.
“For me, the physical side has been the hardest, especially making the time to exercise.”
Mrs Ingram initially tackled her diet before developing an exercise regime.
She said the group environment helped participants hold each other accountable.