The Kin's Green Fighters Challenge is over, and things didn't work out quite as planned for Chilliwack's Carolyn Putt.
She didn't win the cruise for two to a sunny destination.
Vancouver's Kristen Macgregor won that, losing 26.2 pounds of fat over 13 weeks.
Putt's goal was to lose 10 pounds while increasing bone and muscle density. She lost eight.
“But, I reached a lot of my own goals along the way,” she said. “I was able to successfully change my diet in ways that I feel will stick, and I did manage to win five out of 13 weekly challenges.”
The weekly wins netted Putt gift certificates for the Stone Grill, COBS Bread and Canadian Tire, along with an iPOD and a family photo shoot.
“Now that the competition is over, I can go to COBS and get cinnamon buns,” she laughed. “And it's OK that I don't get to go on a cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver. My dream is to go on a Norwegian cruise to see all the fjords anyways.”
Beyond getting healthy, Putt and her 12 co-contestants raised awareness and money for the fight against cancer.
Putt's nice, Lilee-Jean has been battling cancer since she was six months old.
“Through the challenge, I got more people knowing Lilee-Jean's story and raised awareness about childhood cancers,” Putt said. “I knew that doing this challenge wasn't going to actually affect her in any way, but it was something I could do to honour her. And, after I won one of the weekly challenges, I got to see her smile and laugh as I shaved off my hair.”
Putt also raised awareness for organ donation, sharing her personal story about donating a kidney.
“So get out there, get active, eat healthy and get informed,” she said. “And while you're trying to get healthier, don't forget to check out the possibility of being a living organ donor. Saving someone's life while you're still alive is something you will never regret.”