Navy Seals Fitness Challenge Sat Sept. 6 -- has Arab American component

Reminder – Tuesday, Sept 3 Media Day - Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge and Saturday, Sept 6 Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge UIC Chicago
Alissar Langworthy – Diversity Advisor
Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge
269-832-2882

You and your colleagues are invited to Media Day, held 72 hours before the Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge (Sat., Sept. 6 at UIC.) Media Day is any time between 6am and 2pm on Wednesday, Sept. 3, at University of Illinois Chicago at (or outside of) the Physical Education Building, 839 W. Roosevelt, Chicago. This is chance for you and your newsroom friends to get in there and try elite SEAL events such as push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, a 500 yd. swim, or a 1.5 mile run. Great photo fodder….

About 30 elite Navy SEALS will be running the show, and they will be available for interviews.

All of Mayor Daley’s health agencies are solidly behind the fitness challenge…the executive director of the Mayor’s Fitness Council - Colleen Lammel-Harmon – can do 6 pull-ups. (Females have a very hard time with pull ups.) This firecracker of a woman is available for interviews as are the other VIPs from the Chicago Dept. of Health, Chicago Parks and Recreation, Chicago office of the United States Dept. of Health and Human Services, etc.

Media Day is all yours, but I have to know if you’re coming….RSVP to Ginny Richardson at 630-789-8555, Ext 10 or grichardson@gr-pr.com. Thanks for your consideration of both Media Day and the release below.
Ginny

P.S. Electronic Press Kit with photos: http://www.gr-pr.com/navy/
_______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release
Press contact: Ginny Richardson, GR-PR
630-789-8555, Ext. 10 or grichardson@gr-pr.com
electronic press kit: http://www.gr-pr.com/navy/


Navy SEALs promote fitness in order to halt obesity


[CHICAGO, IL – Aug. 26, 2008] The Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge takes place Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008, at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Physical Education Building, 839 W. Roosevelt, Chicago. The Challenge is free and open to anyone age 13 or older, city or suburb, male or female. It consists of five fitness events: a 500-yard swim, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and a 1.5 mile run.

Taking place to promote fitness and to heighten awareness of the epidemic of obesity, the Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compare personal fitness levels with those of the elite Navy SEALs.

“The Navy SEALs are highly respected and admired for their vital role in national defense,” said Dr. Terry Mason, commissioner, Chicago Department of Public Health. “That they would choose Chicago for this initiative speaks well of our City. It gives us an opportunity to showcase the many talented and fit individuals who live in our great City, and it challenges the rest of us to step it up a notch.”

“This Challenge is a means to encourage citizens of Chicago and its suburbs to improve fitness and to utilize our SEAL standard as a way to measure their own level of fitness,” said Duncan Smith, Captain, Navy SEAL.

The events:

500 yd. swim – Standard: 12 ½ minutes. Competitive: 10 minutes
Push-ups – Standard: 42 in two minutes. Competitive: 80 in two minutes
Sit-ups - Standard: 50 in two minutes. Competitive: 80 in two minutes
Pull-ups – Standard: 6. Competitive: 11 (no time limits)
1.5 mile run – Standard: 11 minutes. Competitive: 10 minutes

Chicago is the fifth stop of the national tour of The Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge. The inaugural challenge kicked off more than a year ago in Boston. Since then, the challenge has taken place in San Antonio, Los Angeles and Dearborn.

“Let’s show ‘em what Chicago is made of,” said Corey Garner, director of the Chicago Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge. “We’re hoping for an unprecedented number of competitors - of all fitness levels – to rise to the challenge.”

Individuals are welcome as are groups such as family members, neighbors, running clubs, classmates, members of a football team, fitness clubs or someone looking for inspiration to begin a program of better physical fitness. Anyone who participates is welcome to invite an unlimited number of cheering spectators. Encouragement is very helpful to each participant. In addition to watching the exciting events, spectators will have the extraordinary opportunity to meet and talk with the elite Navy SEALS.

Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge competitors will be scored and ranked against each other, with all participants receiving a dog tag and a complimentary commemorative white T-shirt with the Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge logo. Earning a tan T-shirt means the competitor met SEAL standards, and a blue T-shirt means the participant has met Navy SEAL competitive standards which indicates a superb athlete.

All participants should pre-register by going to http://www.sealfitnesschallenge.com/ and choose a time slot in which to compete. Teams may register for the same time slot, however there will be no exceptions made to accommodate an entire team, once a time slot is full. All participants under the age of 18 are required to provide parental or guardian consent.

Early registration is suggested.

Be Fit – Be There!
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Ginny Richardson, President
Ginny Richardson Public Relations
15 Salt Creek Lane, Suite 317
Hinsdale, IL 60521
630-789-8555, Ext. 10
http://www.gr-pr.com/