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Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

A Challenge For Charity and for the Purpose of Educating the Masses About the True Nature of Fitness and Health
Friday October 17, 2003

Conformity and uniformity are the twin mothers of mediocrity. Excellence is born of individuality and nonconformity.
Walt Hanks

I was so poor growing up ... if I wasn't a boy ...I'd have nothing to play with.
Rodney Dangerfield

I have a friend in Tampa who is a poster boy for individuality and nonconformity, and a polymath comic and athletic talent of the first order. He has an idea for a Fitness Challenge, introduced recently in the sports section of the Tampa Tribune, that just might spark a fitness revolution--and raise millions of dollars for local charities. If the idea succeeds, that is, if celebrity athletes accept his unique Fitness Challenge, something else will happen, as well: A few celebrity athletes will be quite surprised to learn that they are not as fit as they thought. Most important, the general public might better appreciate the extent to which a meaningful fitness regimen enhances health and a higher quality of life than they previously imagined.

My friend's name is Rick Clark. He is almost 50. He runs on a treadmill daily. He is not a superstar runner but he IS fit. He claims that most athletes in big time sports are almost as unfit as the average American. How unfit is that? Well, according to the CDC, the number of obese people has more than doubled since 1980 to nearly 50 million. (Source: Bethany Mclean, Fortune Street Life Newsletter, Sep 25 2003.) Furthermore, one in three Americans born in the year 2000 will develop adult-onset diabetes, a worsening epidemic that disproportionately affects women and minorities. (Source: Reuters News Service, October 8, 2003.) The higher diabetes rates are associated with the obesity epidemic among Americans. Under these conditions, blood vessels do not transport oxygen properly leading to damaged organs, blindness and eventually kidney and heart disease, which hasten death. The lack of fitness we see daily means that people live 10 to 15 fewer years, and the quality of their lives is diminished dramatically.

Rick believes the situation in America is alarming, which of course it is. He told me "A fat America has become the norm. But not just adults: I'm seeing more and more fat kids, and I wonder what's with this. What are their parents thinking? I mean, it can't be that all of these fat children have been stricken with metabolism disorders. I don't understand it--but I want to do something about it!"

The Fitness Challenge basically is that celebrity athletes and Rick would run on treadmills at the same time, at the same speed. Rick asserts that the celebrities will not last more than a few minutes, perhaps five but the exact format details will be worked out with the celebrity jocks who take the Challenge.

Asked, "Why should world-class athletes bother to participate in something like this? Rick replied "because it's the right thing to do--and because if I were a world-class athlete and someone asked me to set aside a short time to participate in a fitness contest to raise money for charity, I'm quite sure I would agree without hesitation." He also thought the event could be organized in a way that would be fun for the athletes--and a viable TV spectacle. Rick said it wouldn't just be him against the big name athletes, but everybody against everybody. It might also be fun to see how the brand name athletes measure up against each other in a test of pure cardio fitness; the basketball players against the soccer players, against the tennis players, against the baseball players, etc. Also, wouldn't it be neat to see some 350-pound linebacker who has little chance of outrunning anyone, yet who is willing to climb on a machine and give it his all? Or wouldn't it be interesting to see how great female stars like Mia Hamm and Venus Williams would fare against seemingly superior males?

One might object on another grounds. For instance, baseball and football players don't have to be long distance runners to do their jobs. It doesn't take an endurance athlete to run five yards at a time, which is what some of these guys get paid to do. So why should they risk losing respect by competing with a guy off the street in an activity that's unrelated to their necessary talents and abilities?

Rick's response to this was to make an analogy with London cab drivers. "To get a hack license in London takes years of preparation, because these guys have to demonstrate knowledge of almost every minuscule fact about London before they qualify to drive a taxi. Some would argue the foolishness of this: After all, cabbies get paid to drive tourists from the airport to a hotel. They shouldn't have to know what time the guard changes at Buckingham Palace. But some clear-thinking government official (talk about oxymorons) apparently decided that cab drivers aren't just people movers, but more importantly they are goodwill ambassadors for the city. For the just-arrived tourist, the first contact with London might well be their cab driver, and that first impression might ultimately determine revenue gained or lost. Well, maybe that same concept should apply to professional athletes. Maybe they should always be goodwill ambassadors for their sports in particular and athleticism in general. And this role just doesn't seem feasible for an athlete who isn't physically fit."

To his credit, Rick has kept perspective on the event, saying that in the end it should not be taken so seriously. "If it's done right, it will be a win-win situation for everyone. Sure there's money involved, but the amount I'm suggesting ($50,000 per entrant) is chump change to these guys, their teams and sponsors. But when it's all added up, it will amount to a lot for those who really need it. Also, (my suggestion is) there will be five money winners, with the pot divided like this: First Place: 50%, Second Place: 20%, Third Place: 15%, Fourth Place: 10% Fifth Place: 5%. So with 100 participants in the contest, the "last man standing" would win the lion's share of $2,500,000 for his or her charity, but the fifth place winner would still raise a very respectable $250,000. And for those who seem to think that a middle-aged jogger has an unfair athletic advantage against superstar athletes in their prime... I would get on my treadmill first and run alone for at least an hour at a good pace, say 8 mph. During this time there might be a musical stage show with a fitness theme. After that, the pro athletes would be introduced individually as they get on their treadmills. All this time, I'd be running, and if the intros ran on and on, no problem. I'd run alone until every participant was introduced...thirty minutes, an hour, however long it takes. Then the contest will begin with everyone running at 8 mph, to be gradually increased at pre-arranged intervals. And when everyone else has quit, two minutes or two hours later, I'll be the one still running."

As mentioned, Rick is no conformist, not even to some of my own wellness recommendations! Nobody's perfect. He admits to spending many a night "plunked down in my chaise lounge, eating ice cream and watching TV throughout the night." Yet, even with these habits, he is confident he can beat the best pro athletes in the world in a fitness contest. Now what? I agree-if the contest/promotion comes to pass, Rick will run the celebrity faux athletes into the ground. It will be taking candy from proverbial babies.

Rick is counting on the belief that even a mediocre weekend runner like himself can beat the best pro athletes--and he wants this to become common knowledge. When that happens, he believes ordinary citizens will better appreciate that a middle-aged person can be just as fit, or more fit, than a superstar athlete--and that might inspire more exercise on the part of the average Joe and Jane Blow. In any case, that's his dream. Rick told me, "I don't see why it can't be done. If it catches on locally with big names and big money is involved, I can see this snowballing into a big deal. The reality is that it's not that amazing for older guys like us to be in the great shape we're in. It only seems amazing because so few of us are. And it's no wonder when you consider these superstar athletes that one might expect to be role models and perfect specimens of physical fitness. But that's not the reality at all. The most amazing thing about many big league athletes is that they can actually throw, hit, or kick a ball without smacking themselves in the belly. Cardio fitness? Forget about it!"

Rick said he does not expect to change the world, not even a tiny part of it. "Even if this plan somehow worked out perfectly and helped inspire many people to take up exercising, I doubt if many would stick with it. But maybe a few would, and then maybe they'd get others to do the same. Then maybe one day, after a few more Ice Ages, things might actually start changing for the better."

Personally, I hope some cable show televises Rick's Fitness Challenge. It sounds a lot more exciting than watching people eat bugs and other drivel and the cause is a good one besides the money raised--the stunt will promote fitness and a wellness lifestyle.

Know any celebrities who might want to climb on a treadmill next to Rick Clark—for good causes? If so, tell Rick--he can be reached via E-mail at rickclark@tampabay.rr.com.

Be well. Always look on the bright side of life.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the PHYSICAL DOMAIN under the skill area of exercise and fitness. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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