SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WLIO) - The gym at Shawnee High School was full of energy Wednesday, as students from grades 4 through 8 got a first look at the Team Tressel Fitness Challenge.
The statewide program will reach more than 160,000 students across 635 schools, focusing on helping students make healthy choices.
“The governor has these goals that he wants every Ohioan safe, and every Ohioan healthy, and every Ohioan to reach their God-given potential. So, we came up with the idea to put a fitness challenge out to our 4th through 8th graders,” said Lt. Gov. Tressel. “The idea is that in those formative years of their life to get them in the habit of maybe moving around more, working on their strength, cardio, flexibility, their balance, but also, their nutrition and their rest.”
Students who sign up will work through three levels. Each level includes goal-setting in fitness, nutrition, and sleep.
The statewide program will reach more than 160,000 students across 635 schools, focusing on helping students make healthy choices.
The program runs for 90 days starting Sept. 8.
At Shawnee, Principal Heather Patterson said they didn’t hesitate to get involved once the opportunity came along.
“We entered our information, and we waited, got the approval that we were in the program. And here we are at the kickoff. Very exciting,” Patterson said.
Former Buckeye and NFL wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. is serving as the “challenge captain.”
At Wednesday’s assembly, he joined Lt. Gov. Tressel in explaining the program, showing students proper form on different exercises, and talking about how to make fitness a part of daily life.
He’ll travel across Ohio with Tressel to encourage kids to get involved.
“Making it a lifestyle is one thing. Just don’t rush through a lot of exercises and things,” Ginn said. “When you’re in the gym, they just scream out ‘25 situps.’ We never get the proper technique. I just want everybody to come and get the proper technique, and if we get a kid, we get a family.”
Each student will also get a workbook with reflection pages, tips on nutrition and sleep, and a “quiet time” section for goal-setting.
Tressel said it’s not about competition, but about building a healthy routine to last a lifetime.
