Top finish: Eleven Canberrans who took part in the Heart Foundation’s 12-week Canberra Celebrity Heart challenge push personal trainer Lee Campbell and Heart Foundation ACT CEO Tony Stubbs into a pool to celebrate the end of the challenge. Photo: Jamila Toderas
Together, they shed 80 kilograms, lost more than three metres from their waist measurements, ran 378 kilometres and powered through 21,600 push-ups and squats.
For the past three months, 11 of Canberrra’s busiest people have battled it out to turn their heart health around raising more than $52,000 for Heart Foundation ACT.
They included ACT deputy chief minister Andrew Barr, prominent business people, including Maria Efkarpidis, Melissa Gelonese and Kevin Phelan as well as Professor Nicholas Klomp from the University of Canberra.
Big heart: Melissa Gelonese was crowned Canberra’s Biggest Heart of 2014. Photo: Jamila Toderas
Ms Gelonese – manager of the Canberra Raiders’ cheer squad, The Emeralds and owner of Entourage Productions – raised more than $9300 during the 12-week challenge and was crowned Canberra’s Biggest Heart on Wednesday.
Heart Foundation ACT chief executive Tony Stubbs said heart disease was the biggest killer of men and women in the territory and about two-thirds of Canberrans were overweight or obese.
“Nearly 485 people die each year from heart attacks but the good news is (heart disease) is largely preventable,” he said.
“Making some changes to your activity levels and eating well will make a big difference to your heart health.”
Mr Stubbs said the challenge showed that if 11 extremely busy Canberrans were able to find the time to exercise and eat well, it was possible for others to do the same.
“The take-home message is that we all know we need to lose a little bit of weight, be a bit more active and eat a lot better, and if 11 of the busiest Canberrans can do it, then there’s really no excuse for anyone else not to,” he said.
“I challenge everyone, even at a difficult time of year like Christmas, to set a date where you’re going to make significant changes to your heart health.
“It will reduce your chance of having a heart attack and you’ll also feel a lot better right now.”
There aren’t many Canberrans as busy as Mr Barr, who juggles several important portfolios in the ACT including as deputy chief minister, treasurer and minister for economic development, housing and tourism and events.
“I really had to program the time to exercise into my schedule and make some changes as how I structured my day,” he said.
Mr Barr, who had already lost 12 kilograms prior to starting the challenge, said he could not believe the difference regular exercise and eating well made to his health.
“I really noticed the difference on the days when I couldn’t get that 30 minutes to an hour of exercise so it’s pretty well become an entrenched habit for me and I feel much better for making that effort,” he said.
During the challenge, participants received nutrition advice from the University of Canberra and trainers from Lee Campbell from B.Firm encouraged them through weekly personal training sessions.