Amid this month’s typical weight-loss goals and "get in shape" resolutions, one Honolulu family started the new year with a head start toward a healthier lifestyle.
During the fall, the Meyer family, along with about 200 families nationwide, took part in the Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s fifth annual Triple Play Fit Family Challenge, which focuses on learning about proper nutrition, stepping up daily physical activity and spending quality time together.
Participants worked to elevate their Triple Play profiles over a six-week period. They charted progress by filling in online forms.
Each week, the form included questions about various challenges, but the form’s last question was always the same: "What did you learn this week?"
The Meyers are among five families selected as finalists in the national competition. They’ll tackle a tough obstacle course, take part in a game-show-style quiz focusing on healthy food choices, and strut their fitness stuff in a talent show during the finale slated for Friday in Miami.
Gina Meyer said she, her husband and two children plan to proudly represent the Aloha State in the talent portion by pairing a "Hawaii twist" with Zumba.
For Meyer, the most rewarding part of the program is seeing her kids become aware of the foods they eat and want to make healthier choices on their own. Her 11-year-old daughter, Hollie, is now reading the nutritional values on menus before ordering.
While at Jamba Juice recently, Hollie said, "‘Mom, the same drink I order has a light version. Let’s try that one instead,’" Meyer recalled.
The Meyers have met their weekly exercise goals by making it a point to get outdoors, whether it’s to the zoo, a park or a hiking trail.
Meyer flashed a big smile as she reflected on how close her family has grown since the program got underway.
"We’ve been spending more time together, even if it’s just a picnic at the park. We never used to have a picnic at the park on a regular basis," Meyer said. "Because of this challenge, we do that now."
The Meyers learned about the program after enrolling Hollie and her brother, 8-year-old Hunter, in music classes at the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii’s Charles C. Spalding Clubhouse at the beginning of the school year.
"I saw an email about Triple Play and asked my husband, Baba, and kids if they were willing to participate, and they said, ‘Sure, why not?’" Meyer said.
While they never expected to be picked for the final round of a national health and fitness competition, in many ways the Meyers feel as if they are already winners.
"It’s all about the learning process, and they (the kids) are happy. They love it," said Meyer of her family’s new, healthier lifestyle.
If they win the competition, it will mark the second title for a Hawaii family. In 2013, two local families advanced to the top five, and the Takanishi family took home the Fit Family title.
In Miami, the Meyers will be joined by the Blair family from New Jersey; the Brodsky family of Michigan; the Minick family from Indiana; and California’s Shomoforth family. In addition to the Meyers, three other Hawaii families — the Chuns, Chus and Magelssens — made the cut for the top 25 families in the nation.
The grand prize is a paid vacation to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., along with gift baskets filled with various prizes tailored to families maintaining healthy habits.
