New event for Heart and Stroke Foundation a big success

Eighty-seven people worked out for a good cause on Saturday in the first annual Super Sweat, held in the Canada Games Centers Flexihall from 1-3 p.m.

Eighty-seven people worked out for a good cause on Saturday in the first annual Super Sweat, held in the Canada Games Centers Flexihall from 1-3 p.m.

The event was a part of the Fit for Heart campaign, which raises funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of the B.C. and Yukon region.

“We got the message out there that heart and stroke is something to be aware of and it is something we can prevent in a lot of cases,” said Lisa-Marie Vowk, the activity co-ordinator for the Canada Games Centre. “Getting the awareness out was the number one thing and I think we did it. They are going to walk out of here talking about it and that is what I am excited about.”

Super Sweat 2008 was more than just a fitness class. The event was made up of 11 segments and had nine instructors in total. Each instructor taught their own unique class, which varied from 10 to 15 minutes in length.
The event placed just as much focus on education as it did on activity, offering pamphlets on the subject of heart and stroke. Fitness facts were also announced over the course of the two hours.

The fitness gala begin with a classic aerobic workout and ended with a yoga class. Other forms of exercise included Funk Fitness, cardio kickboxing, step aerobics, cardio core intervals, Nia and Feldenkrais. The event was done in intervals from high to low tempo workouts to reduce the chances of injury and serious fatigue occurring.

Super Sweat 2008 was put on by Whitehorse Parks and Recreation, in partnership with the Better Bodies Crosstraining Centre. This was the first time the event has been hosted in nearly a decade as well as the first time it has been held at the Canada Games Centre. Better Bodies was the host of the event in past years.

The cost to participate was $10, with the exception of individuals who are currently involved in this year’s 100k Your Way program, which is also a part of the Fit for Heart campaign. However, everyone who came out made a donation of at least $10. Members of the 100k Your Way program also had an extra 25-km added onto their overall total just for taking part in Super Sweat 2008. They have until Feb. 14 to reach the goal of 100-km worth of activity using their preferred method(s) of exercise.

The Fit for Heart campaign is a six week campaign, which runs from Jan. 1 to Feb. 14. All proceeds raised in this year’s campaign will be tallied up on Feb. 15 and announced the following Monday.

In 2007 the campaign raised $7,000 in total, but Vowk hopes to double that amount for this year and is more confident about being able to do so after Saturday.

“We were so pleased,” she said. “We haven’t counted all the donations yet, but we know it was at least $870 some dollars. There was a lot of people who were giving twice the donation entries, so we are very happy.”
She said she wasn’t that surprised by the turnout.

“I knew the community would do it,” she said. “Next year we are going to push the stage back further and open up the Flexihall to get 150 people in here. That’s our goal for next year.”
Vowk said resuming this event was due.

“It has been so long since we have done something I think in partnership with the community,” she said. “For the Fit for Heart for (the) Heart and Stroke (Foundation) we do the door to door campaign faithfully every year, but we have never went bigger than that. We have kind of let it lull because it takes a lot of volunteer time, it takes a lot of people just to pull something like this off and I just felt that with this facility that there is just so much we can offer.”

Sharlaina Bain was one of the participants at Super Sweat 2008. She said she was happy about taking part in the event.

“It was nice to try a bunch of different types of classes that you probably normally wouldn’t try,” Bain said. “It was really great to see a lot of different styles, obviously there is a lot to offer in Whitehorse.”

Bain said her favourite part was taking her first Nia exercise class, which is a type of workout done through expressive movements.

“I think it was great for me personally to try the Nia,” she said. “I have heard about it over the years, I just never had the opportunity to take it, so it was great.”

She thinks it is important to put on these types of fundraisers.

“I think it is always nice when you have something that you can participate in as well as donate, just to be a little more active than just handing over some cash,” Bain said. “You don’t really feel particularly involved when you just do that. Just to be a part of it and to see that there are other people out there with the same goals as you, it’s nice.”

Bain hopes this event becomes an annual tradition and plans on participating in it again next year.

Additional donations for the Fit for Heart campaign can be made up until Feb. 14 at the Canada Games Centre by picking up a pledge envelope at the front desk.