BIG DAVE'S BIG GIFT

It's Time: Get off your Duff

It's time: Get off your duff

John McCann

August 20, 2010

Durham Herald-Sun

My wife has these relatives who watch Tae Bo tapes the way folks watch movies. Is that just about the craziest thing you've ever heard or what?

Instead of getting off their butts and jumping around a little bit with Billy Blanks as he shuffled tae kwon do and boxing into an exercise routine, my wife's people would just sit there and watch him sweat all over the place.

Sounds like you? Oh, maybe not the part about watching the Tae Bo tapes. But have you, too, been struggling to get off your hind parts to get some exercise?

Well, you need the 2010 Durham Fitness Challenge.

Go to www.durhamfitnesschallenge.com and you'll see where you can write a short essay about why you deserve to win a three-month Move It Be Fit VIP fitness package that includes personal training, meal plans and assessments. And wh ...

Now, there you go making excuses! I hear you, talking about how you're gonna order those P90X DVDs and really get serious about getting in shape.

And I've heard really good things about P90X. What, you have, too?

OK, so why haven't you ordered the DVDs?

See what I'm saying?

Thing is, as good as I hear P90X is, what happens if you get injured and can't keep up with the intense workouts? I'll tell you what'll happen: You'll quit working out, because P90X is not a personal trainer. Move It Be Fit's John Hinkle is. Big difference.

Nothing's wrong with group fitness. Nothing at all. But sometimes you need a personal trainer to customize a workout just for you. That's what you could win by entering the 2010 Durham Fitness Challenge.

Or maybe you know somebody who'd benefit from this sort of training. You could write an essay explaining why that person should be among the three winners who'll receive VIP packages.

The fitness challenge also offers another 101 people the opportunity to receive three months of boot-camp style training, exercise advice, nutrition tips and unlimited coaching by way of e-mail.

The deadline for submitting applications is noon Friday. Winners will be notified Aug. 9.

Among the conditions for winners of the VIP package is walking or running in the Oct. 16 Big Dave's 5K Fun Run/Walk.

Don't worry. The VIP package includes training for the 5K.

What, who's Big Dave?

Well, in 2009, lymphoma claimed the life of 25-year-old David Turner, who was from Virginia but lived in Durham while getting treatment at the cancer clinic at Duke University Medical Center.

Turner had no health insurance when a diagnosis revealed cancer in his body was widespread. A bone-marrow transplant would cost $500,000. Funds were being raised toward that end but not as fast as his cancer was spreading. It got to a point where a transplant no longer was an option.

So Turner decided the money generated should help someone else get a transplant. Which led to the formation of the David Turner Lymphoma Foundation, or Big Dave's Big Gift (www.bigdavesbiggift.org).

See, as Turner battled his own cancer, he was thinking about helping others fight theirs.

Aside from wanting to crush cancer, Turner's thing was making sure folks in general lived healthy lives.

So now you understand the partnership between Move It Be Fit and Big Dave's Big Gift.

And now you understand why staying on your behind simply is not an option.

Reach John McCann at jmccann@heraldsun.com or (919) 419-6601.