A healthy challenge to students

Twelve weeks of looking after yourself makes you think you can do anything, even run a marathon. And you’d be right.

Forty students living in campus residence halls, and one vice president of student affairs, competed (against each other and their individual limitations) in a student health challenge run by RIT’s Body Positive Team and Residence Hall Association.

At the beginning of winter quarter, students set goals for themselves in wellness, nutrition and fitness, and they’ve met with a mentor every week to help achieve those goals. Mentors are RIT faculty and staff members who exemplify living the life of wellness—they exercise regularly, watch what they eat and maintain a healthy lifestyle. From cutting out caffeine and eating more fruits and vegetables to learning how to design a safe weight-training program, students are encouraged to learn new healthy habits, beginning a new and better life, with no excuses. Students who reached their goals were entered into a grand prize drawing at the end of the 12-week challenge.

David Blonski, second-year industrial engineering student and president of the Residential Housing Association, came up with the idea. His initial goals were to increase his strength and fitness. But after several weeks of the program, he became inspired to compete in the Buffalo Marathon on May 30.

“The health challenge broadened my goals and helped me look at other areas of fitness wellness and nutrition aside from just weightlifting,” he says.

To become a mentor, contact Michelle Blinnd at 5-6995 or mabcst@rit.edu. For information, visit www.rithealthchallenge.com.