Good news in the fitness industry.
*Australian Body Works, for co-hosting the third annual Get Active Atlanta, a free interactive sports, health and fitness festival for families. The event, scheduled to take place next month, will feature more than 50 interactive activities, including moonwalk jumping and rock climbing. Dancers, boxers and others will give demonstrations. Visitors can take part in group exercise classes or try out new cardio equipment. Also, booths for health screenings, education and vendors will be on hand. According to Australian Body Works, the festival is meant to encourage families to become more healthy through fun, non-intimidating exercise that becomes a part of their everyday routine.
* Gold's Gym International, for being recognized as the largest gym chain in the world in the Guinness World Records 2000. According to IHRSA, GGI currently operates 530 facilities in 47 states and 24 countries. Another 20 are currently under development.
* Stephen Holt, for being named the 1999 Expert of the Year by expertcentral.com, a resource site that provides expert advice from a variety of fields, such as law, travel, science and fitness. Holt is the technical director at the Maryland Athletic Club & Wellness Center in Timonium.
* Greenville Racquet & Fitness Club, for celebrating its 25th anniversary. Starting with just six indoor tennis courts in 1975, the club now has a fitness area that occupies more than 65,000 square feet; 175 cardio and strength machines; a basketball facility; an indoor pool and track; three aerobic studios with more than 85 classes per week; racquetball area; nursery; and three acres of tennis.
* WOW! Work Out World (Brick, N.J.), for sponsoring a fund-rasing workout event at each of its locations to raise money for the St. Jude Research Hospital. The 35-year-old hospital conducts research into deadly childhood diseases and has provided total medical coverage to more than 16,000 patients.
* River Oaks Racquet Club (Rocky River, Ohio), for hosting "Lessons for Life," a fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society. As part of the event, tennis players participated in social play, had their serve-speed timed with a radar gun and bought raffle tickets for donated items such as an autographed 1999 Cleveland Indians baseball. River Oaks donated close to $2,200 thanks to the event.
* WellStar Health Place and Mobile Health Services in Marietta, Ga., for its community service in 1999. Last year, the club certified 752 people in CPR/first aid, gave 2,600 flu shots at corporate sites and conducted 11,000 screenings (cholesterol, diabetes, thyroid and mobile mammography). The club's staff also worked to distribute 1,600 child safety seats, 500 bike helmets and 500 smoke detectors.
* James Stevenson, who placed third in the Bodybuilders & Advanced Exercisers category in the Met-Rx Engineered Nutrition World's Best Personal Trainer Contest. Stevenson is a personal trainer and exercise specialist at FitnessWorks (Detroit), a joint venture between Henry Ford Health System and General Motors. The award was based on the progress of one of Stevenson's clients during a 12-week program. Both trainer and client had to keep detailed, daily journals that summarized meals, supplementation and workouts. Documentation of physical and emotional growth were needed to illustrate the challenges and motivational tactics involved.