lululemon Great Fit Challenge winners!

We’ve teamed up with lululemon athletica to bring three lucky Richmonders two weeks of a personalized fitness plan at assorted local establishments!

January 19, 2015; 9:09 AM • by Susan Howson

Update #1 — January 19, 2015; 9:09 AM

Wow, dudes. We had so many entries to the lululemon Great Fit Challenge, and I am not at all exaggerating when I say that we really stressed about who to choose. Just reading those stories was every bit as motivating as the ones we published during Fitness Week. There are some determined and self-aware Richmonders out there, we are happy to report.

Yet, we had to narrow it down to three. After much hemming and hawing, we settled on the following lucky dogs!

Danny Carroll, 30, The Fan

Danny’s had three factors working against him: a weight-gain-causing medication, a thyroid issue, and a serious case of gym-dread. He wants to find something that actually feels right, pair it with a lasting change in eating habits, and see if he can increase his energy as well as his self-esteem.

Julie Richardson, 38, Short Pump

This New Year, Julie celebrated one year of sobriety as well as a feeling that a very difficult year was finally coming to an end. Like so many of us, tough times led to unhealthy eating habits, and Julie worries about the effect that her weight gain is having on her health, her energy levels. “I spent last year tuning my mind and spirit (an ongoing process), and this year I would like to tune my body to match.”

Wendell Welder, 45, Westover Hills

A survivor of breast cancer, a double mastectomy, and multiple reconstructive surgeries, Wendell feels ready to supercharge her health. She feels that finding the right fit for a regular workout plan–as well as a little internal push past her own self-confidence issues–would allow her to feel healthy and pretty again. Her family has been her cheering section through her healing journey, and now they’re joined by our entire readership!

Check back in a few weeks when we check in to see how life is going for these ladies and gentleman. And if you’re feeling bummed because you weren’t chosen, do not despair! There are still a bajillion reasons to find a great fit for your overall health.

Congrats, all, and thanks lululemon for making it all happen!

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Original — January 13, 2015

In the spirit of Fitness Week, we’re teaming up with the athletic haberdashers at RVA’s local lululemon athletica shop in Short Pump to challenge three readers to find their best fit! 

 My what now?

Your FIT, dude. As in, the thing that works for you as you try to achieve a state of oneness with your body and mind. Or just to lose a couple pounds. Whatever your goal is, we want to help you reach it! And also your toes!

 Who’s lululemon and why does she care so much about my health?

“She” is a company that sells athletic clothing that is high quality, carefully innovated, and crafted to perform during yoga, running, dancing, and most other sweaty pursuits. Their mission revolves around helping their fellow man live longer, healthier, more fun lives. To that end, the Short Pump store makes it a priority to get super involved with the community around it and getting its fellow citizens up and moving. And that includes you, my friend!

 But I don’t even know where to start!

Shhhh. Shhhhhhhh. We hear you. This week is all about telling people’s stories–people who’ve gotten really into one avenue of fitness. We chose these individuals because we thought you’d find them inspiring, and we wanted you to see that there are lots of different roads towards getting the results you want.

Here’s how it’s going to work:

• The Challenge: Tell us via the below form why you want to get fit. Have you found it difficult to find something that works for you? Do you find the whole process particularly daunting? Maybe you had an injury that’s made you rethink how you approach fitness? Tell us all about it.
• The Prize: We’ll select three lucky folks and turn you over to the welcoming arms of lululemon. Your new pal and temporary fitness concierge, Anna-Claire, will give you a bunch of local options (from yoga to cross fit to running trainers to spinning and everything in between), chat with you about your goals, and help you decide which to try. And then she (or, rather, the company she works for) will pay your admission fee for as many classes at as many places you want, so long as you can fit it all into the next two weeks!. 
• The Catch: We’re going to check in with you after those two weeks are up. Yeah, you heard me! We want to see how you’re doing, and if you’ve found anything that feels like a great fit.
• The Timeline: Submit your reasons by this Thursday, January 15th, and we’ll announce the winner on Friday, January 16th, thereby ending Fitness Week with a bang! 

Each day this week, we’ll be featuring a different fitness story from someone who has risen to the heights of the RVA fitness scene. All of them are down-to-earth humans who hope that sharing their experiences will help inspire you to feel good all over.

You have until Thursday at 5:00 PM!

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Photo by: Nick Davis Photography

January 19, 2015 9:09 AM 0 1 update