Whoa, Nessie! Silliman Center Dives into New Health Challenge

Don’t let your New Year's resolution to get in shape fall by the wayside. , 6800 Mowry Ave., is hosting a swim challenge to help motivate you to embrace fitness.

“Fitness challenges are important, as they give you a goal to shoot for to maintain your fitness or even start a fitness program,” said Peter Beireis, senior recreation supervisor at the Silliman Center.

The Loch Ness Fitness Challenge is the center's second fitness challenge of the year, but the first swimming challenge. It will run from Monday, Feb. 14 to Sunday, April 17.

You may sign up either online or in person at the front desk of the Silliman Center. If you sign up in person, you will receive a free pair of goggles, while supplies last.

To participate, simply track the miles you swam on a sheet provided by the Silliman center. The mileage charts are kept in a binder at the center.

The center uses the honor system with tracking hours.

There is no extra cost to participate in the challenge, but normal drop-in fees to use the center’s pool do apply.

While hours spent swimming at the Silliman Center obviously count, participants are welcome to use other places to get in some of their swimming hours, Beireis said.

Everyone who starts and continues with the challenge is considered a “winner,” Beireis said.

People who complete the challenge by swimming 22.6 miles will receive a certificate of completion and a commemorative towel or T-shirt, Bereis said. Even those who attempt the challenge but fall short on miles will receive a participation certificate.

Beireis says the fitness challenge is good for more than just the swimmer.

“It helps the community, as it keeps the individuals in the community healthy and reduces health care costs, obesity and a whole host of medical conditions associated with not maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” he said.

The Silliman Center is hoping for a minimum of 20 participants for this fitness challenge, but staff members would love to see 50 to 100 people, or even more, try it out.

The center's fitness challenges, which started with swimming, have been around for about five years now. This is the first year that Silliman has put together a complete series that hit all of the major points of a triathlon: running, swimming and bicycling.

The first in the current three-part series was the Big Foot Challenge, which incorporated running, walking and hiking.