Jan 10, 2015 3 min read

’Twas three days before Christmas, and six virtual strangers had the same vision dancing through their heads – a healthier lifestyle.

Observer-Reporter recently selected its first-ever team for the Biggest Winner competition at the Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center. The O-R is partnering other businesses as the center hosts its fourth annual contest, which includes 11 teams vying for the Biggest Winner title, a takeoff on the popular TV reality show, “The Biggest Loser.” The Biggest Winner is an aggressive program that combines group fitness training and nutrition to maximize weight loss. The winner will be the team that shows the greatest total body weight percentage loss.

A contest within a contest, the O-R team will be pushing themselves and each other to see who wins a grand prize of a one-year membership to the wellness center. That, too, will be decided by the O-R team member showing the greatest total body weight percentage loss. Various other sponsored prizes will be awarded as well.

The O-R team consists of four women and two men of varied walks of life, ages and fitness levels. Two of the participants are O-R employees – Liz Rogers of South Strabane Township, editor, and Carole DeAngelo of Canonsburg, event marketing manager.

The other four contestants were chosen to be a part of the team after filling out a questionnaire on the O-R’s website. Selected were: Larry Butka of Canonsburg, Paul Setto of Canonsburg, Kelly Stanton of North Bethlehem Township and Jessica Tennant of Strabane.

Observer-Reporter, said more than 60 applications were received by the paper.

”It was really grueling to choose. All of them were great,” Miller said. “Anytime you do a contest like this, you just don’t know how the response will be. But the number of applications we received just goes to show how the idea of healthy living resonates in the community,” Miller added.

The six soon-to-be teammates recently were given a tour of the Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center by center employees Diane Heins, marketing coordinator, and Kendra Boni, fitness manager. Boni, who will serve as the O-R team’s trainer for the contest, showed the team equipment they may use and what their training might entail, adding it will include “a lot of cardio.”

Each team member was given a complementary membership at the wellness center to use at any time during the contest, which runs until Feb. 20.

Boni reminded the team, though, that working out four days a week starting at 6 a.m., “You will be tired.”