Trimmin' inches, pounds

October 3, 2008 - 7:36 PM

Mark Sterkel|Odessa American
Odessa College President Gregory Williams congratulates some of the more than 900 participants in the college's "30 for 30 Fitness Challenge" that closed Friday with a celebration and prize drawing.

Amanda Fisher hasn't worked out in a long time, but started when she heard about the Odessa College "30 for 30" challenge on the radio and decided she would join the community effort.

In the last month Fisher said she lost 12 inches. She changed her eating habits, which she says has changed her lifestyle all around.

And she doesn't plan on stopping her new regimen anytime soon.

"I love it," Fisher said. "My friends and I come up here and work out together."

OC held a news conference Friday morning on the "30 for 30" finale, and announced the winner of a brand new treadmill - Eric "Big E" Dyer, the son of OC basketball coach Dennis Helms, was the big winner.

Dyer has Downs Syndrome, and said he has never had a workout routine until he started working out with OC last month.

"I lost 12 pounds this month," Dyer said. He plans to put his new treadmill in his office at home.

Dyer joined a hungry crowd of about 75 residents and faculty sat and stood around chewing on Subway sandwiches while OC President Gregory Williams congratulated the newly fit group.

"You don't know how much this means to me to have you support me and yourselves," Williams said.

Williams also announced a new goal to have everything replaced in the Sports Center with new equipment within the next year.

Before the news conference, Barry Phillips "the younger" approached Williams, shook his hand and thanked him for coming up with the idea.

"Even though I'm tired from getting up at 5:30 every morning, I finally lost that stubborn five pounds," Phillips said.

 

 

LOOKING FORWARD

>> Williams announced that he plans to have the same community fit program next year, but said he hopes to get even more people involved.

>> Williams also announced that he wants to replace all of the old equipment in the Sports Center within the next year.