Waking up in the morning and turning away from the image staring back at you from the mirror is a problem for a lot of people. Fortunately for two students, this problem may be coming to an end.
The University of Calgary Fitness Challenge seeks applicants for a five and a half month program focussing on creating and managing a healthy and fit lifestyle. So far, 96 students have applied for the challenge, but only two lucky students will be selected. Around 200 students are expected to apply for the contest. The program includes an academic advisory committee that will help students with their personal trainers and nutrition councilors.
“We are looking for someone who is willing to go through a transformation,” stated James S. Fell, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Department of Kinesiology. “We are looking for people who can really use this.”
This challenge offers a male and a female the chance to get assistance in developing a healthy lifestyle. Every person who applies for the challenge must fill out a questionnaire that gives the application board an idea of who they are and what they hope to accomplish. From there, the potential applicants will be put through two interviews before the final two contestants are chosen.
“It’s a very rigorous screening process, we want them to tell us what their goals are,” said Fell. “The majority of women said they wanted to improve their overall health and look better for themselves. The guys primarily wanted to pump up with washboard abs.”
Contestants will also be required to write a bi-weekly article to let other students know about their progress.
“We want the contestants to tell the other students exactly how they are feeling and what they are experiencing,” told Fell. “There can be a dark side to this program and we want them to tell others students about it.”
A number of sponsors have donated to this challenge. lululemon and The Athlete’s Foot have both donated clothing with the latter donating shoes also. There will also be a $500 shopping spree at the end of the competition for each contestant. Dino’s Athletics will also be providing some clothing.
“We’re trying to sell the facilities,” explained Fell. “We want more people to know about all the facilities that we have to offer. While the two contestants will be provided platinum treatment, we’re trying to let people know what can be done in these programs.”
The submission deadline is Mon., Oct. 11 at midnight. The two contestants will be announced around Wed., Oct. 20.