A GROUP of Indigenous Eurobodalla residents has spent the past 12 weeks losing weight to gain life.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The locals took part in a boot camp twice a week at Hanging Rock, as part of the George Rose Knockout Health Challenge, a state-wide competition offering $20,000 to the team which lost the most weight.
Now the Eurobodalla Scale Busters is in the running for the prize after its 20 “biggest
losers” shed a combined 146.2kilograms.
One participant lost a massive 25 kilograms in just 12 weeks.
Aboriginal health and education officer Ivan Goolagong said that although he was confident of the team’s chances of winning cash this year, participants had already gained much.
He said Aboriginal people were at higher risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and kidney disease than their non-indigenous counterparts, and that more than half of the team’s participants had diabetes.
Mr Goolagong said participants gained real health benefits as a direct result of their efforts.
“One contestant with diabetes had a blood glucose level of 20 – their level just dropped,” he said.
“Another participant had to lose 20 kilos before she could have an operation – she’s got nine kilos to go.”
Mr Goolagong said participants were taking control of their own and their families’ health.
“Their kids are looking at mum’s and dad’s training and saying ‘this is what we need to do to keep healthy’.”
He said parents were also cooking healthier meals and giving fast food a miss.
Trainer Brendan Ellis said training on Monday and Thursday evenings served as healthy social gatherings, and had huge flow-on effects.
“I think the biggest thing out of it is not just the weight loss, but that everyone’s self-esteem has picked up from it,” he said.
“It’s enormous.
“For a lot of contestants, interaction was limited.
“They were so confined to their own life, whereas now they actually experience a life in front of people.
“The benefits flow on, it just goes right down the line.”
Mr Ellis said he was impressed with the team’s commitment.
“We called it off one night because of the rain and went down and there were 20 people waiting in the rain,” he said.
“By the end of it all, the guys were training up to 40 minutes straight with limited rest. It was pretty full-on.”
The program was a partnership between the Southern NSW Local Health District and Southern NSW Medicare Local.
Businesses donated prizes for a weekly “trainer’s trainer” award, and Katungal Aboriginal Corporation donated cash for an in-house biggest loser competition.
Mr Ellis, who has continued to run the indigenous boot camps, said many participants were back at Hanging Rock on Monday, despite the official end of the challenge on Friday.
Mr Goolagong plans to enter a team in the next competition, the Julie Young Challenge, in July.