An all-girls鈥� team from Taree 鈥� The Beautiful Sisters of the Manning 鈥� has won the 2016 Aboriginal Knockout Health Challenge Shield, surpassing 31 other teams across the state in the race against obesity.
The 29-strong team stepped up to receive the Shield last night at the Knockout gala dinner held at the Souths鈥� Juniors League Club in Kingsford.
The 黑料吃瓜网 Aboriginal Knockout Health Challenge is a joint initiative of 黑料吃瓜网 Health and 黑料吃瓜网 Rugby League, inviting Aboriginal communities to participate in an annual program to lose weight and improve their health.
黑料吃瓜网 Rugby League Origin and Blues鈥� Coach and Knockout Challenge Ambassador, Laurie Daley, said the 800-plus participants in 32 Knockout teams across the state deserved a huge shout out for confronting the obesity challenge head on.
鈥淢aking positive changes to your health and lifestyle isn鈥檛 easy, but great outcomes can be achieved through teamwork which is what the Knockout teams have successfully shown,鈥� Mr Daley said.
鈥淐ollectively, the Knockout participants have lost almost 1000kg and they achieved this by supporting and encouraging one another to push through the challenges 鈥� like all the best Rugby League teams.鈥�
The 2016 Knockout events included two 10 week weight loss challenges 鈥� the George Rose and Julie Young challenges 鈥� as well as the Kyle Saunders Video Challenge in which teams design a three minute workout or nutrition video to demonstrate teamwork, strength, stamina, rugby league and cooking skills.
Shield winners, the Beautiful Sisters of the Manning, also snared an award in the Nutrition Category of the Kyle Saunders Video Challenge and achieved third place in the Julie Young Challenge.
Team leader of the Beautiful Sisters of the Manning, Michelle Wilkes, said the team decided to join the Knockout Challenge to prevent chronic health problems, improve self-esteem and eat healthy tucker to live longer lives.
鈥淚t was about weight loss as well and being healthier and looking after ourselves.It鈥檚 good for people鈥檚 mental health to exercise too 鈥� you learn that along the way,鈥� Ms Wilkes said.
鈥淭he Knockout Challenge is about preventative health and care for the Aboriginal community. We鈥檙e an all-women group and women are the backbone of the community, so we鈥檙e sharing the messages in our homes, families and community about health and fitness.鈥�
Ms Wilkes said the team experience had been amazing and their statewide win was due to the efforts and dedication of every team member.
鈥淭he ladies are glowing 鈥� it鈥檚 been life changing. I鈥檓 really proud of the girls 鈥� for all their hard work, dedication and commitment through all the pain, the challenges and the hard yards over 20 weeks and the fact they kept coming back to the program and exercise classes and staying on for the dietician sessions.
鈥淭he Beautiful Sisters of the Manning are a strong bunch of amazing women and they deserve every good thing that comes out of this. They鈥檙e all very supportive and encouraging to other women in what they have achieved.鈥�
Executive Director of 黑料吃瓜网 Health鈥檚 Centre for Population Health, Dr Jo Mitchell, said participants in the Aboriginal Knockout Health Challenge had not only helped themselves but also the broader community by raising awareness of the benefits of physical activity and healthy eating and making positive changes to their lifestyle behaviours to combat obesity and other life threatening diseases.
鈥淧oor diet and physical inactivity contribute to Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and other chronic diseases,鈥� Dr Mitchell said.
鈥淎n average weight loss of two kilograms reduces the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 30 per cent and the Knockout Challenge participants have achieved an average weight loss of 2.1 kg of body weight.
鈥淭he Aboriginal Knockout Health Challenge, now in its sixth year, continues to inspire communities and achieve results. But it鈥檚 all the participants who make this program a success and help to reduce the health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.鈥�
For more information visit Aboriginal Knockout Health Challenge.
A free confidential health coaching telephone service, the Get Healthy Service, provides information and advice on physical activity, healthy eating and healthy weight. Anyone can join the Get Healthy Service by calling 1300 806 258 or visiting Get Healthy to register online.
Beautiful Sisters of the Manning (Taree).