Sixteen local personalities will embark on an active lifestyle challenge for three months under the watchful eye and guidance of Genuine Fitness.
The challenge, which will start on September 24 and last three months, is expected to motivate and raise awareness among Batswana so that they start living a healthy lifestyle.
Director of Genuine Fitness, also the organisor of the lifestyle challenge, Agatha Atlholang, said that as a fitness professional, she is very concerned about people’s health and fitness.
“I believe that health and fitness contribute to one’s productivity both in and out of the office. I also believe that fitness companies such as Genuine Fitness have a responsibility to help the Ministry of Health to raise awareness on diseases that come as a result of unhealthy living. Government alone cannot combat these diseases without the input of other stakeholders,” she said.
She added that 16 media personalities will participate in this challenge as a way of sending a positive message to the public.
They include some of the most influential people in the entertainment industry from RB2, Gabzfm, Deep Zone Production and Liban Restaurant in the CBD.
“We have personalities like Gaona Tlhasana, T.H.A.B.O, Lady of soul, Simba Mudereri, Mojaki Monnakgotla, Jazelle Kebakile and other media representatives from different media companies,” she said.
Atlholang explained that they decided to make a media active lifestyle challenge as many Batswana look up to these people as they see them as role models.
“I believe if people see our local celebrities living a healthy life and excising then maybe they will touch many people’s lives and as a result a lot will follow suit. They are in the public eye and they are perfect for reaching people even in faraway places,” she said.
Through this challenge, Atlholang said, the message will come across she is that fitness has the ability to tackle all the other three risk factors that include overconsumption of alcohol, poor diet, smoking too much and physical inactivity. “After this challenge, I believe that more people will start exercising which will ultimately prevent, cure or manage these diseases,” she said.
She added that fitness is an experience and one can only appreciate it and its benefits once they partake in it. She said one is only able to speak with conviction about something only once they have experienced it.
“The media is in a better position to communicate with Batswana on a larger scale. By putting them in a fitness boot camp for three months, and as they share their experiences on their respective media, more Batswana will be motivated to live an active lifestyle. It is also vital that participants communicate what impact exercise has made in their lives. The more they talk about their experiences, the more of an awareness it will create,” she said.
Atlholang explained that participants are expected to train, watch their diet and exercise during the three months.
She said participants will be exposed to different styles of training and keeping healthy. “The challenge will not only take place in the gym like for instance on the 27th of September we will be going for Chynas Kata-Bo Fitness Carnival which is an aerobics marathon,” she said.
