Posted by Carody Kephart, Manager, Integrated Marketing on March 30, 2010 6:28 PM
Congratulations to GSI's own Candace Sheldon, who was honored with being the "Most improved woman 50 or older" in Ingram's 2009-2010 Fittest Executives and Fittest Companies Challenge.
Candace joined up with three other GSI folks – Mark Hotalling, Jerad Riggin and Adam Ward – to compete in Ingram's challenge, which ran from October 1 through the end of 2009. The competition was based on the belief that a "top-down corporate emphasis on employee fitness could help achieve bottom-line results with a fitter work force." During the three-month challenge, participants were armed with detailed measurements of their own health metrics, and focused on their primary areas of concern, such as losing weight, or improving blood pressure and cholesterol levels, aerobic capacities, strength and flexibility measurements.
Candace earned the "most improved" stature due to her improvement in all categories. She attributes her success in the program to both eating healthier and exercising regularly. She and her teammates committed themselves to working out in GSI's exercise facility 4-5 days a week – specifically following the P90X workout regimen. Candace also eliminated sugar, flour products, and alcohol from her diet – instead snacking on fruits, vegetables and more protein-rich foods. She followed the guidance of a nutritionist and also hit the tread mill every evening after work. And the results were great – she lost 9 pounds during the competition (even including the holidays) and another 6 since then. Not only that, but Candace is now seriously motivated to continue her fitness routine.
Candace signed up for the Ingram's challenge as part of GSI's corporate team, motivated by the thought of getting in better shape and losing a little weight, as well as the desire to set a good example for her GSI co-workers in promoting wellness. The support of her teammates, she says, made it easier to achieve positive results. Just like the premise GSI stands on as a company – that the support our GSI ServerHeroes lend one another enables us to collectively achieve great things for our clients.
"If you really decide you want to do something and are diligent in your approach, you can achieve anything," says Candace. Simply enough said, but a lesson for all of us in our personal and professional lives. Candace's success brings home the reason why I'm proud to work for a company like GSI with dedicated co-workers like her – true to GSI's tagline, "Let's get it done right," we have the desire to achieve, and we take the extra measures to do so.
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