News

Natalie shapes up for a healthy future

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:12:00

Mildura’s Natalie Pryor has toned up, trimmed down and is feeling on top of the world after taking out the Mildura Aboriginal Corporation’s inaugural Healthy New Year Challenge.

About 80 participants signed on for the 12-week challenge in January to try to start 2013 on a healthy note – and win a share of a $3000 first prize.
Final weigh-ins, measure-ups and testing were held over the past week, and the major prize winner was calculated through the greatest overall reduction in body fat, improvement in fitness and nutritional habits, as well as stress reduction and other positive lifestyle modification such as quitting smoking.
Natalie was declared the winner at a presentation ceremony at Buxton-Sobee Park today, as part of the East End Health and Wellbeing Day.  She finished narrowly ahead of Graham Kirby and Natalie’s Mum, Melissa Pryor.
There was no shortage of encouragement and rivalry within the Pryor family.  Denzil and Gwen Pryor won the Partner/Couple challenge, and Natalie’s sister Mikayla and aunty Zina were also close behind.
“The Pryor family have been the absolute stars of the challenge,” said MAC’s Healthy Lifestyle worker Sarah Carn.
“Their persistence has been awesome to watch. I am very proud of them and believe they will never go back.”
As a Nation 63.4% of Australians are classified through the body mass index as being either overweight or obese.  This isn’t culturally specific however Indigenous people, like Asians are at higher risk of chronic disease when being classified within these categories.
“That’s why our boot camp was open to people from all cultural backgrounds,” Ms Carn said.
“We try to help people use tools and develop skills that make a healthy lifestyle attainable, easy, fun, sustainable – and more importantly so they can experience how much better they can feel.”
The challenge was supported by weekly organised health and fitness sessions, and other programs aimed at healthy eating and lifestyle.
The boot camps and fitness activities drew between 30 and 60 participants per session to the Mildura Riverfront each week.
In addition, the program began MACqua – a swimming program held at Mildura Waves every Thursday at 11:30am for Elders – and fun nights to encourage families to become more active.