06.04.07 - FitSpirit : A success story!

Toronto, June 4th, 2007 - FitSpirit, a program that focuses on promoting fitness among young girls between 13 and 17 years old, was a resounding success in its debut during their speaking tour in Ontario and Quebec high schools. More than 4400 students were visited by eight Olympic athletics and the Heart and Stroke Foundation in those two provinces. FitSpirit addresses an important concern within our community since more than 65% of female teenagers are inactive (ICRCPMV, 2002).

Claudine Labelle, Founder of the program and a new mother, has all the reasons in the world to smile, “The response that we received from the students during our speaking tour exceeded my expectations. The girls were truly paying attention to our message and they were very enthusiastic about FitSpirit. It’s very encouraging!”

“Encouraging young woman to adopt heart healthy behaviours at a young age, gives them the opportunity to instill some of these habits as for the rest of their lives,” says Phyllis Berck, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. Participating with FitSpirit is part of the Foundation’s goal to help create a healthy Ontario.

The new website, www.fitspirit.ca, was graciously created by MERGE Solutions (www.merge-solutions.com), a software company that specializes in delivering custom portal solutions. FitSpirit aims to provide several services through their website such as:

• An interactive Blog - where the teenagers will be able to communicate and share ideas with the athletes and the health specialists

• A Guide of the sporting organizations - available in their area and a list of the FitSpirit sporting events for the season.

The plans for the 2007-2008 are already established. “With the support of our sponsors, FitSpirit will expand its territory in Ontario and Quebec. We will not only offer seminars in the high schools but we will also be physically active with the girls. Our objective is to guide them through various physical activities.”

The message of health and well-being links directly with the philosophy of Roots, official clothing provider. “To give the opportunity to young women to expand their horizon and to discover new sports is extremely important for us. The concept of FitSpirit is unique and we are very proud to support them.” said Don Green, Co-founder of Roots Canada Ltd.

The Speakers:
- Jennifer Botterill, hockey
- Anouk Leblanc-Boucher, speed skating
- Molly Killingbeck, track and field
- Sue Palmer, cycling
- Isabelle Turcotte-Baird, triathlon
- Lyne Bessette, cycling
- Manon Jutras, cycling
- Alison Korn, rowing

Thank you to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario and Quebec (www.heartandstroke.ca), Roots (www.roots.ca) and MERGE Solutions (www.merge-solutions.com) for making this project possible.

For more information, you can reach:
Claudine Labelle,
Director of FitSpirit
416-219-8051
Claudinelabelle@gmail.com

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