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Former Olympians give some golden advice
October 11, 2007
APPLETON — A bag of chips and a soft couch have been known to be the perfect combination at times for Jayzon Owens.
But after listening to the messages delivered by former Olympians Casey FitzRandolph and Suzy Favor Hamilton on Wednesday, the 11-year-old is now keenly aware they can also be a very poor combination.
"I learned you need to be active and stay fit," said Owens, a fifth-grader at Appleton's Badger Elementary School and one of approximately 1,000 people on hand at Appleton East High School to help launch this year's "Movin' and Munchin' Schools" campaign.
And about those chips?
"I like grapes," Owens said. "Grapes are my favorite. Grapes, apples and oranges."
That's just what FitzRandolph was hoping would come out of the event, which had the feel of a pep rally as first- through fifth-grade students from seven Appleton elementary schools and Appleton East greeted him and Favor Hamilton with high-fives and chants of "USA! USA!"
"If you change one (person), it's been worth it 10-fold," said the 32-year-old FitzRandolph, a three-time Olympic speed skater and a 2002 gold medalist in the 500 meters. "So you like to hear things like that, and you hope that they remember this. Not just today, but tomorrow and the next week and it can start that chain reaction."
FitzRandolph and Favor Hamilton, both Wisconsin natives, serve as chairs of the "Movin' and Munchin' Schools" program, which was created in 2000 as a way to promote healthy nutritional habits and regular exercise through public schools statewide.
The program is administered through the Department of Public Instruction and sponsored by the WEA Trust, a not-for-profit group health organization that insures many of Wisconsin's public school employees.
The WEA Trust hopped aboard in 2005 and has since helped participation within the program grow by 30 percent to roughly 26,000 children and adults.
"Our nutrition is terrible," said Favor Hamilton, 39, a three-time Olympic distance runner, a seven-time U.S. champion and the holder of nine NCAA titles. "When you're grocery shopping, the best place to grocery shop is through the outer aisles. The outer aisles have everything you need — your milk, your cheese, your breads, your meats. That's a good way to start trying to eat healthier."
Appleton East was chosen as the site for this year's kickoff because the Appleton Area School District was the only district in the state to have had eight schools participate in the program and receive financial awards based on their work from the 2006-07 school year.
East, meanwhile, was the only high school in Wisconsin to have participated.
Along with Appleton East and Badger Elementary, plaques and monetary awards were distributed to representatives from Huntley, Janet Berry, Ferber, Jefferson and Columbus Elementary Schools and Classical School.
According to superintendent Lee Allinger, monies awarded are utilized at each school site for the further promotion of fitness and good nutrition — a district-wide staple.
"Appleton has had the benefit of over the last 12 years incrementally trying to improve what we serve kids to eat in our lunches and what they bring to school for their snacks," Allinger said. "Our physical education curriculum has been redone to promote vigorous physical activity. Our staff is more involved with being more physically active. It's part of our culture.
"It's nice to have these Olympians here, but I think what was really nice was to have them give the message that to be physically active and to eat nutritiously, you don't have to be an Olympian to do that. I think it's incredible that Appleton had two Olympians here during the school day for our kids to interact with. Just awesome."
Favor Hamilton thought it was awesome to interact with all of the kids, too.
During the rally, she had them stand and run in place to demonstrate how exercise simply makes everyone happier.
Afterward, she signed autographs with FitzRandolph before taking on a group of youngsters in a quick race inside the gym.
"There's so much we can do where we don't need to have all of these Game Boys and toys to have fun and a great life," Favor Hamilton said. "You just have to have good people around you, and you can create wonderful things."
