The 2010 Fitness Challenge, the third offered by the Diabetes Association, Inc. (DAI), Children In Balance, Community Development Recreation (CD-REC), the Fall River YMCA and Healthy Lives Fall River, held its first Fitness Challenge at the Veterans' Memorial at 72 Bank Street. CD-REC executive director Grace Gerling challenged teams and individuals to put themselves through a set of challenges that included walking around the gym ten times, going up and down the four flights of stairs in the building ten times, and then doing 100 arm stretches and 100 leg lifts. This event was designed to begin to get Challenge participants into better physical shape. Participants also weighed in as they are doing every two weeks. "Many are already showing some weight loss in just the first two weeks," commented CD-REC program director Jamison Souza. The Challenge continues for another twelve weeks until the May 8th finale. Click here for links to all of the videos of past Challenge events. Call CD-REC at 508-679-0922 or go to www.FallRiverFitnessChallenge.com for information about the Challenge. 

(Top row, left) Member of the 2009 winning team, Nykie Marzilli, hands out tickets for a prize drawing to Challenge participants as they stand in line to weigh-in. (Top row, center) CD-REC program director Jamison Souza weighs in second year Challenge participant Jeff Estrella. (Middle row) CD-REC staff member Robert O'Melia hands out fitness instructions to team members that includes ten circuits of the gym, ten cycles of four flights of stairs, and 100 each of leg lifts and arm lifts. (Bottom row) Teams go through their paces.