Middle School Students Taking on the 'World Fit Challenge'

It’s no secret that childhood obesity is on the rise. In fact, it’s tripled since 1980—which means that the children of this generation are not expected to outlive their parents.

However, the non-profit organization World Fit, which is dedicated to promoting the importance of fitness and exercise to middle school-age students, is helping encourage kids to get off the couch and get moving—and is now bringing its program to Fair Lawn.

For the students of , Monday marks their first day of participation in the World Fit Challenge, which will take place throughout the next six weeks. With a minimum goal of 10 miles per week, students can earn mileage points by walking, running, jogging, or even swimming, and can keep a tally of their mileage on the World Fit website.

Parents and teachers can also register as a World Fit Buddy, which not only allows them to get some exercise, but also earn “buddy miles” if they walk with students. Anyone registered as a World Fit Buddy can also donate half of their mileage to students to incorporate into their mileage goals.

The six-week program will commence with certificates, and medals will be awarded to those students who have accumulated the most mileage.

TJ students will be able to walk on campus before school from 7:45-8:15 a.m., and after school from 3-3:30 p.m.

“[Many] students come early [or stay late] and are just standing around anyway, talking to friends,” said physical education teacher Kaitlin Guy. “So why not take that time to walk around and get some exercise?”

TJ was the only school in all of New Jersey to sign up for the World Fit Program. “It’s kind of surprising,” said Guy. “I’m hoping that other schools will catch on [in the future].”

As part of the World Fit Challenge, each school that participates is assigned an Olympian who serves as a mentor and role model to further motivate students. Former Olympic gymnast David Durante will serve as the World Fit mentor to TJ’s students throughout the challenge, and will visit the school to speak directly to the kids (details TBA). Fellow TJ parent Alexandra Duenas is serving as the community leader.

“This is a great opportunity for the students,” said Guy. “Being fit is a very important thing.”

Learn more about World Fit and the World Fit Challenge by logging onto their website at www.worldfit.org.