It took less than 10 seconds for Yvonne Savage and Thom Hunter to accept The Gazette’s Healthy Challenge. ‘‘It’s not every day someone calls you up and says, ‘Here’s $25,000 worth of stuff to help you change your life,’” says Yvonne. ‘‘You’d be crazy to turn it down.”
Yvonne and Thom were among some 650 Montgomery County residents who entered the newspaper’s second annual sweepstakes. Last year’s winners – Erin Grace and Rod Gonzaga – lost a combined total of 50 pounds. They also dramatically improved their health, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels while losing fat and increasing lean muscle mass.
During a meeting with Cliff Chiet, The Gazette’s vice president of sales and general manager, Yvonne and Thom learned the details of the program -- $25,000 worth of goods and services in exchange for their pledge to improve their health. The Gazette ‘‘showed a tremendous commitment and professionalism to helping the participants in our quest toward not only weight loss but also a healthy lifestyle,” wrote Thom in his journal.
Over the next 12 weeks Yvonne and Thom will journey through a world many simply dream of – one with personalized trainers and nutritionists; health screenings; yoga, dance, tennis, and martial arts classes; and dermatological, dental and day-spa services. They will work hard, but be pampered in the process.
Those who will prod and pamper were on hand to meet the two winners at The Healthy Challenge Kickoff at White Flint Mall on St. Patrick’s Day. More than two dozen sponsors explained their roles to Yvonne and Thom. ‘‘The occasion made me feel like a prince that was at his coronation,” wrote Thom. ‘‘All of the sponsors I met were truly committed to making my transformation happen. This was not just an event where companies attended to promote their companies, products and services. These folks really care.”
There won’t be any extreme makeovers, but both Yvonne and Thom are confident they will improve their physical appearance. While the ultimate goal of this year’s winners is the same – to improve their mental, physical and emotional health – their personal needs and stages in life are quite different.
Yvonne, 39, hasn’t always had a weight problem. The former high school cheerleader – ‘‘I just love cheering for people; even today I love routing for the underdog,” she says – was able to keep in shape throughout her childhood and into her late 20s. But, in her early 30s, as the emotional stress in her life increased, Yvonne put on a few extra pounds.
‘‘My mom died in 1999 and, shortly after that, I found out my dad was real sick,” says Yvonne. It turned out her father needed a new kidney. ‘‘I jumped at the opportunity to donate my kidney to him,” she says.
It took almost 18 months to work things out and determine the two were compatible. ‘‘Three years ago, in June, I went to New York for the surgery. I took short-term disability from my job because I had to stay there for six weeks.”
Following the surgery, Yvonne’s weight began to rise. ‘‘I had trouble flushing proteins so I ate a bunch of carbs instead,” she says. She put on 60 pounds over three years and watched her body mass index climb to 36. ‘‘I tried lots of diets, but none of them really fit me,” says Yvonne, ‘‘and when I did try to stop eating carbs, I felt like I was going through withdrawal.”
Yvonne estimates her current weight to be about 230 lbs. ‘‘I’ve lost 22 pounds since January and I’m ready to lose a whole lot more,” she says. While her ultimate goal is to return to a size 10, Yvonne hopes to drop 40 pounds during her Healthy Challenge. In July, she will serve as matron of honor at a friend’s wedding in Jamaica and she is looking forward to sporting a slimmer figure when she walks down the aisle.
She enjoys exercise but, as a single mom, has had trouble incorporating it into her schedule. ‘‘That’s why I’m so thrilled about having a life coach,” she says.
She also is interested in finding ways to transform her favorite pastime – cooking and baking – into a healthier hobby. ‘‘I’ve got to figure out what to do,” she says. ‘‘Do I stop sampling, give it up completely, or figure out how to make it fit with my new lifestyle?”
Born and raised in Stamford, Conn., Yvonne first came to the area in 1991 when her former husband was stationed at the Pentagon. Today she lives in Silver Spring with her son, Jayvonne, a senior at Kennedy High School. Family is extremely important to Yvonne even though hundreds of miles separate her from her dad and sisters. ‘‘I know they’ll be following me on the web,” she says.
Also following her will be her boss at Camelot Flooring in Gaithersburg. ‘‘My boss is real cool. He’s been telling me, ‘This is your time to shine,’” says Yvonne. ‘‘That’s important to me. I know it’s not just me alone.”
Read about Thom Hunter of Montgomery Village, who also won the Healthy Challenge.
Back to Healthy Challenge main page
News
Entertainment
E-Mail This Article