Faculty compete to lose

It’s been 19 years since LeeAnn Brock last gave birth, and she’s still trying to lose the baby weight.

“I just want to get back down to what I was before I had babies,” said the 179-pound Central High School teacher, who’s on a mission to lose nearly 60 pounds.

Ms. Brock and fellow teacher Duncan Kelley have been speed-walking around the campus every day after school since September, and the duo’s workout and healthy eating plan got a jump-start this week with the launch of the school’s new “Biggest Loser”-style competition.

Assistant girls’ softball coach Stan Burton said the contest was inspired by his team’s hard work.

“We’re in the conditioning phase right now, and the girls were working so hard, we told them they were motivating us,” he said. “We told them, ‘Y’all need to hold us accountable.’”

So starting Monday and running until May 3, about 20 members of Central’s faculty will compete against each other to see who can lose the largest percentage of their starting weight. In addition to bragging rights, the top three winners each will receive a share of everyone’s $20 entrance fee.

“I just like to win. I’m in it for that,” Mr. Kelley said. “I don’t care about the money. It’ll be nice to be thinner, but I just want to beat everybody.”

Principal Finley King said he fully supports the competition.

“We spend more time with the kids than their parents do,” he said. “Plus, the healthier our teachers are, the less likely they are to be absent. (Substitutes) are great, but there’s no replacing a classroom teacher.”

Many students at Central “could stand to lose some pounds,” Mr. King said, so he hopes the participating teachers inspire their young charges.

Softball player Samantha Braley’s mom also works at the school and is competing in the contest.

“I feel like it’s a really good thing for the school, and it’s cool to be the inspiration for it,” she said.

Follow Kelli Gauthier on Twitter at twitter.com/gauthierkelli