One Ton o’ Fun wrapped up on Thanksgiving at the 16th Annual ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot, which began and ended at Waterloo Park in downtown Austin. One Ton o’ Funners who completed the five mile walk included Kenny Taylor, Matt Curtis, Melanie Ridings, Matt Welch, Troy Alexander, Joe Bacon, Greg Hamilton and the coach of the Austin Police Association Eaters team, Scott Cary, who was joined by other members of the Austin Police Department.
Welch said, “I feel good. I’m just glad I did it.”
One Ton o’ Fun was a six month long fitness program created by RunTex CEO Paul Carozza and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas Executive Director Kenny Taylor. The program, which benefited Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas and the Neighborhood Longhorns Program, was made up of 10 teams with 10 members each, and the goal was for each participant to lose 20 pounds for a total of a ton.
One Ton o’ Fun provided participants with the support of professional coaches, dietician Gary Avignon and equipment provided by RunTex. Support staff taught participants how to make practical, moderate changes that made a big difference in their health. For instance, when a participant such as Taylor craved cheesecake, he ate a bite of it instead of a slice, and instead of embarking on an intense fitness program that would be hard to stick to, One Ton o’ Funners participated in things like walking, sitting on exercise balls throughout the day and stretching.
Some One Ton o’ Funners struggled with the goal while others exceeded it. Taylor, who weighed in at 377 pounds at the start of the program, lost the most weight of all the participants, weighing in at 303 at the Turkey Trot. He said he plans to lose 74 more pounds. His team, The Big Skinnys, will continue to meet after Thanksgiving, and they may form a One Ton o’ Fun alumni group so they can continue to support each other.
Matt Curtis, Capital Metro’s assistant director of business and community development and a One Ton o’ Fun team captain, lost 70 pounds though the program.
“Following [Taylor] throughout the entire program I feel like Sammy Sosa, or at least second banana, like brother Daniel to Alec Baldwin,” he said. Curtis plans to maintain his fitness level by working out in the gym on his own after Thanksgiving.
Carozza explained that One Ton o’ Fun used the same model that gets runners in shape, but when applied to previously sedentary people, it benefited them exponentially. The same elements, training toward a specific goal with a deadline, working with a coach experienced in working with people at the same fitness level and having the right gear, come into play regardless of fitness level, he said.
“Their bodies responded at a rate that kept them engaged,” he said.
Key to the success of the program was that participants were not put on a diet. Rather than restricting what One Ton o’ Funners were allowed to eat, they were informed about better food choices.
“We did it without using the ‘r word,’ running,” Carozza said. “If America had to lose weight by running, we’d be in trouble. We did it with walking.”
One Ton o' Fun is sponsored by the RunTex Foundation, KTBC Fox7 Austin, Austin Fit Magazine, FitCity, the Livestrong Challenge, Ironsmith, O2 Austin, New Balance and Tonyia Cone Communications. For more information on the program, which benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas and the Neighborhood Longhorns Program, visit www.1tonofun.com.
