Summer 2023 Winners
Meet the prize winners below:
Grand Prize
Meet Deepti Mannan, our Get Fit Challenge summer 2023 first place winner.
“Exercise is part of my everyday life; I log in to the Get Fit Challenge during my morning and evening workouts,” said the registered nurse who works in Fishkill, NY.
The Poughkeepsie, NY, resident will receive an Oura Ring, which is a unique tool to track fitness and sleep to reach her health goals. “I am working on my bachelor’s degree, and I have to read so many articles; the best way is to play them on audio and do the workout simultaneously,” she said.
Second Place
In second place is Jessica Quartarano of Poughquag, NY, a middle school teacher and mother of an 8-year-old son.
“During my summer break, I like to try to stay active to keep up with my son, who has endless amounts of energy,” said Quartarano.
She swims at the pool often, does workouts at home and utilizes the rail trail to go for bike rides, jogs and walks.
“This challenge really helped to motivate me to move my body, even if I wasn’t fully feeling up to it… I love pushing myself to do better than I did the time before. Thanks for putting on such a wonderful challenge!” she said.
Quartarano will receive a Theragun Mini, so she can treat her aching muscles after intense workout sessions.
Third Place
Our third-place winner this year is Gail Meldon, who works as an executive assistant in Danbury, Connecticut.
“The Get Fit Challenge kept me focused on what I wanted to accomplish for myself,” Meldon said. “Exercising is part of my everyday routine. I have two grandbabies, and I am sure there will be more in time; I want to be around to see them grow up.”
Meldon believes good health is the foundation for a fulfilling life. Regular physical activity, or even simple activities like walking, can improve cardiovascular health, increase muscle strength and enhance flexibility. It also helps in managing weight, reduces the risk of chronic diseases, and improves mental well-being.
“By combining regular exercise with a nutritious diet, I try to maintain a healthy weight and improve my energy levels and overall well-being,” she said. “Prioritizing my exercising and nurturing family relationships are key ingredients for maintaining good health and leading a balanced life.” Meldon will receive Apple AirPods, which are a terrific way to listen to music or podcasts while working out.
Summer 2022 Winners
Meet the prize winners below:
Grand Prize
Meet Michele Rybos, our Get Fit Challenge summer 2022 first place winner.
Rybos had 55 workouts during six weeks of Get Fit.
“I first heard about the Get Fit Challenge via email and thought it would be a great motivator to get my workouts in,” said the Danbury Hospital labor and delivery nurse of 23 years. “I love being outside. Walking and hiking are my go-to workouts because I can include my dog, Mr. Bevins.”
The Sherman, Connecticut, resident picked out a pair of Brooks sneakers and will also receive Apple AirPods to listen to her final prize, a year of Pandora Premium. “I’m so excited and can’t wait to use my prizes,” she said.
Second Place
In second place is Deepti Mannan, a licensed practical nurse and mother of two who lives in Poughkeepsie, New York.
“I am close to finishing my Registered Nurse degree, working on my goals and learning from the past,” said Mannan, who added her children are her inspiration.
Despite work, college, and her busy family, she managed to log 116 times, mainly cycling and cardio.
Mannan will receive a Smart JumpRope and an Apple HomePod speaker, so she can crank up the tunes during her cardio sessions.
Third Place
After taking the challenge in past years, Hopewell Junction, New York, resident Jennifer Memon was excited to finally be a winner this time around.
We think her puppy and hiking partner, Ranger, was her good luck charm. With 25 workouts logged, Memon hikes weekly with Ranger and three of her friends, and once tracked as many as 14 miles in one day.
”Minnewaska is like a second home to me,” she said. Add paddle boarding, rock climbing and exercise classes to her other activities that help her stay on track with her fitness goals.
“I love fitness because it helps me destress after a long week. The challenge motivated me to try different things and to get out there more,” she said.
Summer 2021 Winners
Meet the prize winners below:
Taking home the trophy, Donna Cerami of Hopewell Junction, NY, accomplished the seemingly impossible – 93 workouts. Her commitment to fitness and health began at age 27, and hasn’t waned, as she gets ready to turn 59. What’s her secret to three decades of staying on track? Cerami – an employee of the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health – said: “If I can move my body, I move it.”
In second was Sharon Hospital X-ray technologist Therese Kissko with 36 entries. Stressed from COVID-19, the Torrington, Conn., resident signed up for Get Fit to get her exercise back on track this spring. “The challenge definitely motivated me to get moving a little more,” said Kissko, who selected a mini exercise bike for her reward.
The final prize winner was Mary Jalloh of Poughkeepsie, NY. She logged 42 workouts. “It gave me motivation to do strength training and get back to the walking I had been doing before (rotator cuff) surgery in March,” the retired Ulster BOCES administrator said. “I felt like I had to do something every day.” Jalloh is a world traveler and adventurer and used Get Fit to get into shape and be ready for her next big trip to the Canary Islands.
Fall 2020 Winners
Meet the prize winners below:
First place: Jill Choma is a 58-year-old Sharon, Conn., resident. Before a day of helping customers with their custom framing needs in her Millerton, NY, frame shop, she begins her day by doing CrossFit. She logged 29 times, working out in an unheated, unfinished barn, with her husband, Paul, by her side. She said it’s her favorite part of the day.
Second Place: Eileen Coladari, a Danbury resident and justice of the peace, walks every day with her grand-puppy, a 7-year-old mix. Second runner-up Maxwell Risch, a nurse at Danbury Hospital and Poughkeepsie resident, scored new sneakers for logging cardio and weight-lifting during Get Fit.
Third Place: Three people were selected.Yoga and Core Barre are Kaylee Mercado’s favorite ways to maintain a healthy weight. With a musical theater background, she’s all about dance and movement.
From New Milford, Conn., Lauren Rodriguez, a NICU nurse, said gym closures didn’t stop her from working out “to relieve stress and stay healthy.” She just shifted to Shaun T fitness programs and running outdoors. Last, Holly Bangert of Hopewell Junction, found ways to squeeze in family time with fitness:
Her family loves to be outdoors so most of her workouts were walks around our neighborhood or park.
Summer 2020 Winners
Meet the prize winners below:
First place: Setting a goal, pushing herself and achieving it is how Amy Kushner approaches exercise, so it’s no surprise the highly motivated mama completed 40 workouts during Get Fit. The Poughquag, NY, resident received an Apple Watch and selected running sneakers as her sporting goods item.
Second place: With 36 Get Fit workouts, Jennifer Dedrick of Hyde Park, NY, is a patient care technician at NDH. She chose a Fitbit smartwatch as her prize. Fellow second-prize winner Dr. Hang Park, a Nuvance Health primary care physician in Hopewell Junction, NY, took home some AirPods. He logged 34 walk workouts.
Third place: Three people were selected, including Teresa France of Tillson, NY, who squeezed in 40 workouts, even a morning walk in the rain. With 71 workouts, community member Renee Ferrara of Fishkill, NY, took advantage of the Workouts of the Week posted at wegetfit.org/blog. The final third place winner was Danbury Hospital Lead Physical Therapist Kelly Barbaris of Middlebury, CT. She logged 27 times, switching from runs to high-intensity training.
All six prize winners received a Sherpa hooded Get Fit sweatshirt.