On June 3 at the city’s “Carnaval @ SomerStreets” event on Broadway, the winners of Mayor Curtatone’s 2012 Fitness Challenge were “crowned.” “Top Five Individual Winners” (from left to right): Mayor Joe Curtatone, Matt Desmond, John Harding and Ted Blake. Ken Kelly and Sally Turner are not pictured.

By Cathleen Twardzik

On June 3 at the city’s “Carnaval @ SomerStreets” event on Broadway, the winners of Mayor Curtatone’s 2012 Fitness Challenge were “crowned.” Recipients included five individual winners, as well as a winning overall team comprised of teachers from Somerville High School’s social studies department.

Winners were presented with gift certificates at a brief ceremony in the mayor’s office.

The top five individual winners are: John Harding, Ken Kelley, Ted Blake, Sally Turner and Matt Desmond.

“The most valuable part of the Mayor’s Fitness Challenge has been breaking some bad eating and fitness habits, while developing new, healthier approaches. Even though the Challenge ended, it has really motivated me to exercise regularly and eat healthily going forward,” said John M. Harding, Senior SomerStat Analyst of the City of Somerville and Fitness Challenge 2012 winner in the individual category.

The members of the wining team “Will Teach for Food” are: Kara Carpenter (team captain), Melanie Blais, Ted Blake, Curtis Eames, Ryan Guilmartin, Amy Jacobs, Alicia Kersten, Mark Quinones, Jim Roscoe and Adda Santos.

“From the beginning of this year’s challenge, all participants were very engaged and dedicated to their individual goals, and it was noticeable at every program, event or class,” said Mayor Curtatone.

“I want to thank and congratulate all of [the winners] on the hard work and effort you put in. I’m proud of all the participants’ success in this year’s challenge, and of the progress that we have made as a community, in continuing our commitment to active living,” said Curtatone.

The Fitness Challenge encourages community members to pledge to embody the Shape Up Somerville motto “Eat Smart, Move More” by making better food choices and increasing daily physical fitness routines.

Individuals who would like to take part will have two choices from which to choose. Participants may form or join teams of as many as 10 people. At the end of the challenge, all of the teams will be judged by weight loss and change in body mass index (BMI). The winning teams and individuals will receive prizes. Alternatively, they may sign a lifestyle pledge and vow to make changes to their daily lifestyle, specifically regarding healthy eating and activity level. Individuals who sign the pledge will also receive incentives throughout the program.

“One of the mayor’s goals is to continually engage residents of all ages, particularly by introducing new programs and celebrations to foster community pride,” said Jackie Rossetti, Deputy Director of Communications of the City of Somerville. “The mayor believed that a ‘community challenge’ would be a unique way to expand the Shape Up Somerville program, while engaging the entire community, thus combining our recognition for civic engagement with the ongoing fight against childhood obesity.”

The third annual “Mayor’s Fitness Challenge” kicked off on March 31. The kickoff event was held at the Somerville High School Gymnasium from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and all members of the public were encouraged to attend. The Fitness Challenge ran through Sunday, June 3.

The kickoff included fitness demonstrations by local “boot camp” and self-defense studios, face painting, arts and crafts, recreational opportunities for kids and adults, healthy snacks, recipes and healthy cooking demonstrations, which featured local chefs.

At the beginning and end of the Fitness Challenge, individuals who chose to participate in the Team Challenge were weighed, and his or her BMI index was measured.

“Last year, more than [500] people participated in the challenge,” said Carlene Campbell-Hegarty, Director of Community Relations. There were “18 teams of 10 people, as well as an additional 348 people, all of whom signed the Health and Wellness Pledge. Based on the amount of feedback we’ve already received, we’re hoping to eclipse that number in 2011.”

More participants chose the Health and Wellness Pledge in previous years. However, the team challenge and the individual challenge bestow points, “based on the change in each one’s BMI score and weight loss,” said Rossetti. “The idea of the fitness challenge is simply to encourage people to make healthier choices, and have fun doing it.”

Such events include the Mayor’s Fitness Buck, which offers discounts to several area restaurants, businesses and fitness programs. “Participants can earn other Fitness Bucks by participating in group fitness programs and/or city-sponsored events,” said Rossetti. Each person who joins will receive “gift bags” filled with fitness-related items.

“We’ve added or changed a number of programs and events based on the interests of folks who provided feedback to us [in a 2010 survey,]” said Campbell.

“This year, we utilized an interactive website through Fivi, which allows users to track goals and find great health and wellness tips and resources,” said Rossetti. “Every year we strive to include more and better activities, programming, partnerships, etc., and we’re fortunate to have a wealth of resources and businesses who work with us each year to make this a success.”

Recreational and fitness programs will be offered at a discounted rate to challenge participants, on a trial basis.

Community members may register by visiting https://somerville.ma.fivi.com/. The interactive website allows users to create health and wellness goals, and track those goals along with daily or weekly fitness regimens.

“The Web site has a tremendous amount of resources and tracking options,” said Rossetti. A “Nutrition Corner,” complete with tips and recipes about eating healthily, as well as team profiles and exercise videos.

For more information about the Fitness Challenge and its programs, interested individuals may contact Campbell-Hegarty, at (617) 625-6600 ext. 2615 or via CCampbell@somervillema.gov.