Friday, September 26, 2014
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, the NBA’s reigning most valuable player Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City Thunder mascot Rumble were joined today by several hundred school children to launch the 2014 Governor’s Get Fit Challenge on the north lawn of the state Capitol.
The Governor’s Get Fit Challenge complements existing youth-focused programs to help children and families in Oklahoma make the healthy choice the easy choice.
Highlights of the challenge include:
• FitnessGram - A free tool available to Oklahoma schools (grade 3-8) that assess five areas of physical health – body composition, aerobic capacity, muscular strength, endurance and flexibility. FitnessGram, sponsored by the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) and BlueCross BlueShield of Oklahoma determine whether students are in a “healthy fitness zone” for their age.
• Parks Passport Fitness Program – The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD), OSDH and TSET are releasing the first State Park Passport this fall. The Passport rewards students for visiting state parks and further rewards them for completing fitness challenges that are tailored for each park.
• Get Fit Challenge Curriculum – OSDH has created a program of videos and handouts that encourage healthy eating and increased physical activity. The eight-week program is recommended for use in schools three days a week and helps children develop balance, coordination and muscular endurance.
“Close to one out of every three youth in Oklahoma is obese or overweight, and obese children are five-to-10 times more likely to be obese adults,” Fallin said. “I’m committed to the future of a healthier Oklahoma and I'm asking everyone to do their part in helping to shape that future.
“We have all the tools we need to become a healthier state: partners who are committed to helping people become healthy; communities that recognize the importance of having vital citizenry; teachers and parents who dedicate themselves to produce physically strong and capable children; and businesses that understand that employees are their most valuable resource.”
Durant echoed many of those sentiments while talking to the kids and issued a challenge of his own.
“Being active as a child can positively influence your health for a lifetime,” Durant said. “But you don’t have to be an NBA player or a professional athlete to be active. You can take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk your dog, go for a bike ride in the park, or my personal favorite - shoot hoops.”
In November, Durant will be issuing the Shape Your Future KD MVP Challenge. For more details visit ShapeYourFutureKDMVP.com.
After speaking to the crowd of 3rd-8th graders from around the state, the governor and Durant joined the group of kids in a progressive dance challenge, showing how much fun activity can be in any setting. The governor is encouraging all students to share their dance moves through videos on social media using the hashtag #GovGetFitAddOn.