Warsaw Couple Lose 107 Pounds In YMCA 'Biggest Loser'
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Jason and Shirley Fleming balance raising four boys, teaching, and coaching and now have a new routine in their life - regular exercise.
For the past three months, the couple has been challenged physically, mentally and emotionally. The Warsaw couple's dedication paid off when they won the Kosciusko Community YMCA's Biggest Loser Couple's Challenge.
They were one of 11 couples who participated in the three-month challenge, losing a total of 107 pounds together. The challenge began Jan. 5 and the last weigh-in was Wednesday.While participating in the challenge, the participants underwent exercise classes, nutrition and exercise seminars, body composition tests, nutrition and exercise assessments, weekly weigh-ins and personal training sessions.
The Flemings were named the Biggest Loser Couple's Challenge winners during a ceremony Monday night at the Kosciusko County Community Foundation building.
They received a free membership to the YMCA for a year; flowers donated by Ace Hardware; gift certificates to Applebee's and Mad Anthony's; a free makeover from Cosmo and Company Hair; and a free night stay at Comfort Inn & Suites.
There were 27 individuals who participated in the Biggest Loser Individual Challenge.
Brittany Wihenbrink, 23, Winona Lake, received the Individual Biggest Loser Challenge award. She lost 29.5 pounds, but was unable to attend Monday night's ceremony.
Wihenbrink is a child support caseworker at the Kosciusko County Justice Building.
"I went into the challenge wanting to lose weight and pushed hard, and it was the best experience I have ever had," Wihenbrink said.
The Flemings said they both learned a lot about themselves during the challenge.
Shirley, 40, lost 61 pounds and Jason, 39, lost 46 pounds.
Jason is a seventh- and eighth-grade social studies and science teacher at West Noble Middle School.
Shirley is a fourth-grade teacher at Eisenhower Elementary School and the boys track coach.
The couple have four boys and it was hard for them to find the time to exercise, Jason said.
"By making it more of a competition, we were able to find the time to exercise," Jason said. He said participating in water aerobics was challenging for him.
The couple said they and their four children have been Y members for several years.
"I was trying to get the students on my track team at Eisenhower involved in 5K races and into cross country, and I felt like I needed to be in shape to set a good example as a coach and be a good role model," Shirley said.
Shirley minored in health science in college. She said she and her husband knew what they needed to do to stay healthy like eating right and exercising.
She said every night by 9 p.m. her children were in bed and she packed up her bags and worked out.
Jason said he enjoyed exercising with his wife and seeing throughout the competition how she had more energy and achieved her goals.
Jason coaches girls high school volleyball at West Noble High School and said the team is going into its summer conditioning program.
He said his experience with the Biggest Loser Challenge will help him prepare for the training.
Jason said this summer he plans to run some 5K runs and he wants to try participating in a triathlon.
Shirley suffered an injury during the challenge by having a partially torn ackles tendon in January when she had lost 20 pounds at that point. She was about four weeks in when she tore the ackles tendon.
"I felt like I was back at square one because I knew without exercise it wouldn't make a difference," Shirley said.
She tore her ackles tendon while doing a cool down run at the YMCA. It is not completely healed but she said she stuck with the challenge.
The Flemings' trainer Virginia Adamson said it was rewarding to see the couple's positive mental and physical progression.
"I have been a personal trainer for 25 years and normally I train people to run marathons, and to train them knowing they were not training to run for something, they worked just as hard," Adamson said.
She said everything she asked the couple to do they did without hesitation, and Adamson said she was motivated by their work ethic.
Another Biggest Loser Couples challenge and individuals challenge kicks off with weigh-ins beginning Wednesday. Challenges also are planned for this summer. For more information, call the YMCA at 574-269-9622.
