Jay Kruger of TV's "The Biggest Loser" shares life-changing decisions
| For Immediate Release | Contact: Joyce Faria Brennan |
| May 13, 2008 | 508-961-5270 |
| brennanj@southcoast.org | |
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| Speakers at the Southcoast RAPPP Male Conference included motivational speaker Andre Norman, left, and Jay Kruger of NBC's reality TV show "The Biggest Loser." | |
"I was just like you. I know the challenges that face you today because I have faced them myself. I know I have to stay healthy and stick with my plan," Kruger told some 200 adolescent males attending the 10th annual Male Conference presented by the Southcoast RAPPP (Responsible Attitudes toward Pregnancy, Parenting & Prevention) Program.
"You will get tempted every day and you will be faced with making the right decisions, no matter how hard it is," Kruger said. Sharing his experience on the hit NBC TV series and his success in losing 103 pounds, Kruger told the group that he was forced to face many fears beyond the grueling six- to eight-hour daily workouts and drastic change in eating habits.
"It wasn't just about losing weight, it was about conquering fears. I have always been scared of heights and many of the challenges scared me to death, but I found out that if you put your mind to it and keep telling yourself 'I have to do this' — you can do anything."
The show's challenges included riding a 500-foot-long zipline 200 feet in the air and climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia. Despite all of the hard work and challenges he faced, he said the toughest part was not being able to see his wife and two children during the four-month taping period.
"Society offers you many quick and easy outlets, but they are not necessarily the right choices. If you believe in yourself, you can do the right things. Finding balance in your life helps to build your self-esteem and keep you on track. If not for you, do it for the people who support you. I know I can't let my family, my employer and my friends down after all of the sacrifice and support they gave me over the four months I was on the show. I have to keep up my healthy lifestyle for them," Kruger said.
Ken Bell, Sports Director at ABC 6 News in Providence, emceed the event for the ninth year in a row.
"This is such a unique program that teaches life skills. It goes beyond classroom studies and teaches the students about life as they know it — real life in their neighborhood, with their families and the crossroads in between," Bell said.
Schools from Fall River, New Bedford, Rochester, Somerset, Taunton, Wareham and Walpole attended the conference including the following schools: New Bedford High School, Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, West Side Junior/Senior High School, Durfee High School, Old Colony High School, Somerset High School, Wareham High School, Taunton High School, Norfolk County Agricultural High School and students from Old Colony YMCA in Fall River.
"We need to empower adolescent boys to believe that they have choices — whether it is living a healthy lifestyle or saying no to gang violence," said Cindy Guilbeault, Coordinator of the Southcoast RAPPP program. "We choose topics that reflect the issues facing teen boys in our region such as teen pregnancy, violence prevention, drug and alcohol abuse, anger management and life skills like money management and drinking responsibly."
About Southcoast Hospitals' RAPPP Program
The Southcoast Hospitals' RAPPP (Responsible Attitudes toward Pregnancy, Parenting & Prevention) program began as an adolescent pregnancy prevention program designed to be used within the curriculum of the health or science department of high and junior high school systems. Since its inception the RAPPP program has touched more than 20,000 teens and parents, including more than 12,000 students through its in-school programs at area senior and junior high schools. All materials, models, staff support and training are free of charge to the participating schools as part of the Southcoast Hospitals Group community benefits program.
The Southcoast RAPPP program also offers parents and adolescents a place to go to find answers about those difficult questions. The Southcoast RAPPP Family Education Youth Resource Center at Dartmouth Place, 49 State Road, Pequot Building, Suite 105 in Dartmouth, offers free information, tools and workshops for today's parents, youth and practitioners. Call for hours and more information 508-994-0548 or go to www.southcoast.org/rappp/.
About Southcoast
Southcoast Health System is a community based health delivery system with multiple access points, offering an integrated continuum of health services throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and East Bay, Rhode Island. It includes the three hospitals that make up Southcoast Hospitals Group — Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.
Southcoast provides advanced clinical services, such as open heart surgery, angioplasty and heart rhythm services, neurosurgery, weight loss surgery, orthopedic surgery and advanced imaging services. Southcoast is a not-for-profit charitable organization that depends on the support of the community to provide services.
More information is available onlinwww.southcoast.org.
Media Contact
Joyce Faria Brennan
Public Information Officer
Phone: 508-961-5270
Pager: 508-387-9605
Fax: 508-961-5876
brennanj@southcoast.org
