Valpo Y Health Fair to Feature Marci and Courtney Crozier

Marci-CrozierBiggest Loser contestants Marci and Courtney Crozier will be the featured speakers at the Valparaiso Family YMCA’s inaugural “Knowledge to Action” Health Fair on October 3rd. The Biggest Loser partners, and Y Members, will share their journey to health and well-being through their personal experiences in nutrition and weight loss.

Marci and Courtney were popular contestants on NBC’s The Biggest Loser-Season 11. Marci was the first woman in Biggest Loser history to reach her goal weight while still at the Biggest Loser ranch. She is a highly respected, engaging motivational speaker who has inspired individuals struggling with personal fitness and weight issues.

Courtney, 22, will present her new organization called Start Making Your Life Extraordinary. The mission of SMYLE will be to provide support and motivation for overweight and deconditioned pre-teens, teens, and college students across the country as they change their lifestyle and learn to embrace wellness.

The Health Fair will be held at the Y’s outdoor pavilion, with parking off of Cumberland Drive. Doors will open at 5:00 pm, with the presentation beginning at 6:00 pm. Everyone in the community is invited. Tickets are $5 per person and will be available for purchase on Sept. 22. Tickets must be purchased prior to the event at the Y Courtesy Desk. Seating is limited to the first 200 tickets, after which tickets for standing room only will be available. Tickets must be presented at the registration table, and attendees are asked to be seated no later than 5:45 pm.

The “Knowledge to Action” Health Fair prior to the presentation will give health-seekers the opportunity to learn more about how to get started on their own journey to better health and well-being. The Y believes the first course of action is knowledge. This principle is based on research that shows that those who are armed with the resources they need are more successful in their quest to better health.

Courtney-CrozierRepresentatives from the Valparaiso Family YMCA and Porter Health System will be present to answer questions about assessing one’s own level of health and fitness and how to begin a fitness program. Participants will learn about the Y’s response to helping people get started through programs specially designed for beginners that offer nutrition, exercise and group support. They will also learn about a free service that supports beginner health seekers in getting connected to something that they are comfortable with at the Y.

In addition, Porter Health will offer a menu of wellness opportunities including Body Mass Index and Body Fat Analysis. An “Ask A Doc” game will help individuals start thinking about their own path to wellness. Participants will receive educational information and schedules of upcoming classes through Healthy Woman and Senior Circle. Nutritious snacks will round out the health fair offerings.

The Y is committed to engaging health seekers in the community. The term “health seeker” is used to represent those who want to live healthy and be well, and for whatever reason, struggle to do so. Local data that shows that 68% of Y Members are health seekers; this number is consistent with the national average. The Y’s response to the data is to focus program planning and hiring practices by considering this target group.

All Y staff, including regularly scheduled volunteers, undergo extensive training in creating deeper understanding and empathy for health seekers. As a learning organization, the Y staff is learning that being “well” means different things to people.

The Y is located at 1201 Cumberland Crossing Drive. Participants are asked to park in the pavilion parking lot from Cumberland Drive, north of the roundabout.

Proceeds will benefit the Y’s CHANGING LIVES Community Assistance Drive in addition to Courtney Crozier’s new program. Plans are underway for a SMYLE group to be started in Valparaiso. Details will be released soon.

The Valpo Y is located at 1201 Cumberland Crossing Drive. For more information, please call Lee at 462-4185 x260.