Community Hospital Fitness Pointe Members Row, Row, Row their way into First Place Again

Community-Healthcare-Fitness-Pointe-Rowing-Team-2015For a sixth consecutive year, members of the Community Hospital Fitness Pointe® team have been named champions of the World Rowing competition. Overall the team placed first, this time rowing a whopping 20,758,457 meters.

Sponsored by Concept2, a manufacturer of indoor rowing equipment, the challenge took place March 15 to April 15 at the medically-based fitness center, 9950 Calumet Avenue. Some 235 rowers, comprised of health facility staff and members, participated, keeping the title in Munster.

“We are proud to call our team ‘champions’ and appreciate their personal efforts to strive to be their very best,” said Nikki Sarkisian, fitness facility supervisor for Fitness Pointe. “It takes commitment, endurance, strength and stamina to earn this title one time and our team has done that six-times over.”

Team members Judy Abbott (Munster) and Franco Molinaro (St. John) rowed more than one million meters. With 1,226,415 meters, Abbott came in 2nd place overall nationwide in the women’s category.

In order to attain this level of recognition, teammates put their lives on hold for the four-week period of the competition and focus on rowing and one goal, according to Abbott.

“It’s something you have to build up to,” says Abbott. “I start at the beginning of the year until I can row everyday (without getting too sore). I know that to reach the million meter mark, I need to row at least 32,000 per day which takes about three and one half hours per day, then build up to 45,000 meters per day. I have my buddies who I like to row with. I also have a favorite machine. We all get along and all have that same competitive spirit. I am proud that this is my sixth year and we have won the past six years.”

Eleven members of the Fitness Pointe team rowed more than 500,000 meters: John Neighbors, Griffith (835,000); William Russell, Dyer (757,013); Ed Lebryk, Munster (707,600); Joyce Winchester, Highland (645,060); Anna Konda, Munster (565,000); MacDaniels Adams, Hammond (561,747); Monty Walker, Cedar Lake (527,437); Pattie Kaczmarczyk, Dyer (526,142); Evelyn Nelson, Lansing (522,333); Dale Winchester, Highland (515,587) and Shailash Bhatt, Munster (501,873).

Fourteen participants rowed more than 200,000 meters including: John Bracik, Lynwood, Ill.; Anthony Alessandri, Dyer; Robert Dennis, Munster; Brad Rathert, Munster; Wendy Mis, Munster; John Dzurovcik, Munster; Dan Chapman, Munster; Janet Gremba, Lansing; Tom Pilewski, Lansing; Pattie Dobin, Cedar Lake; Marty Puzon, Schererville; MaryJo Saksa, Munster, Nancy Weinberg, Munster and Barbara Williams, Hammond.

Twenty-seven participants rowed more than 100,000 meters including: Ken Eggebrecht; Jerry Sabo; Jeff Paschen, Schererville; Don Harmon, Dyer; Stanley Mazurski, Dyer; Diane Bragiel, Munster; Robert Stofcik, Highland; Chuck Elias, Munster; Kalpana Bhatt, Munster; Sharon Ashby, Highland; Donald Padilla, Dyer; Nikki Sarkisian, Valparaiso; Sandy Franczak, St. John; Mike Ilijanich, Munster; George Korthauer, Dyer; Jerry Stokes, Griffith; Paula Szakacs, Munster; Bharti Shah, Schererville; Dan Weinberg, Munster; Roger DePirro, Crown Point; Patsy Yackanich, Hammond; James Greven, Highland; Cathy Piwowar, Dyer; Bonny Bishop, Highland; Dick Ban, Chicago; Don Visnack, Munster and Dan Bolda, Calumet City, Ill.

Community Hospital Fitness Pointe helps individuals achieve life-long health and fitness through innovative, quality programs, state of the art equipment and highly credentialed staff. For more information about the programs and services available visit our web site at www.comhs.org/community/fitness_pointe.asp.

For more information about Concept2 programs and challenges, visit online at http://www.concept2cts.com/