![[Masthead]](http://www.stategazette.com/images/nameplate.png)
RSS
Print
Email link
Respond to editor
Post comment
Share link
Facebook
Twitter
del.icio.us
Digg
StumbleUpon
Technorati
Newsvine
Reddit
Google
 Tennessee Technology Center nursing student Donya Webb weighs 42-year-old John Rausch of Newbern. Rausch said his wife, Toni, encouraged him to join her team for the Lose to Win weight-loss contest. [Click to enlarge] |
The contest pits four-person teams against one another in a weight-loss challenge. The team losing the largest percentage of weight will win $1,000 cash and six-month memberships to both Ultimate Fitness and the YMCA.
The individual losing the highest percentage will win $500 cash and six-month memberships to Ultimate Fitness and the YMCA.
The eight-week contest began Thursday with the official weigh-in and will conclude on April Fools Day with the final weigh-in. The winners will be announced at 5 p.m. April 15 in the hospital lobby.
The number of teams trying to lose weight this year is significantly lower than last year, when 64 teams began the competition, contest coordinator Judy Boehmler said. She's the marketing director for Dyersburg Regional Medical Center, which sponsors the contest along with Ultimate Fitness and the YMCA.
Casting Pounds, last year's top team, is back again this year with one change. Lou Ann Arnold is joining Thomas Arnold, Brad Smith and Susan Tillman. One of their team members decided not to compete this year.
 Raelene Pugh, 40, of Dyersburg, learns about her body mass index during the official Lose to Win weigh-in. Tennessee Technology Center nursing students Ashley Jones and Joey Johnson interpret the readings for Pugh. Pugh said she joined the contest because 'I need to lose weight and I finally got someone to help me.' [Click to enlarge] |
Brad Smith also won the individual award for losing 15.16 percent of his weight during last year's contest.
Smith said the team members did well last year, but each one still needs to lose a bit more weight to reach their healthy-weight goals.
The team has a secret weapon sure to encourage success again this year. Gracie Jo Smith, the 3-year-old daughter of Brad Smith, is the team's unofficial team captain. She attended Thursday's weigh-in to make sure the team was properly registered.