Students promote healthy living at En ToTo Fitness Fair

STUDENTS from 20 Secondary schools enjoyed physical activity at the third edition of the En ToTo Fitness Fair held at Nelson Mandela Park in St Clair on Wednesday, in an effort to spread the message of healthy living.

The activities on the day included a walk through St Clair along with cricket, seven-a-side football, aerobics, zumba and rounders. Sharon Rowley, wife of the Prime Minister, was the patron of the event. Among others who attended were Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Shamfa Cudjoe, Tobago East MP Ayanna Webster-Roy and permanent secretary at the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services Jacinta Bailey-Sobers. Rowley, Cudjoe and Webster-Roy were among those who participated in a game of rounders.

Some of the schools in attendance were St Augustine Girls High School, St Joseph's Convent Port of Spain, St George's College, Fatima College, Bishop Anstey High School, Diego Martin North Secondary and Valencia Secondary.

En ToTo, the event's organiser, is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to changing the social landscape through youth-oriented initiatives in TT, in an effort to help them learn values such as respect, discipline and teamwork.

Michael Blackman, co-founder of En ToTo, said, "What we are looking at is healthy lifestyle choices, not just physical fitness but healthy lifestyle choices that will lead to longevity in terms of your health and well being."

Blackman is hoping this initiative will help curb the problem of child obesity.

"That is major on our list in terms of the things we are going to advocate against. The Ministry of Health has mandated that schools can't sell sugary drinks, and the manufacturers of the drinks themselves have started to put less sugar into the items in order for them to be able to get sales at the schools. Child obesity is a worldwide health problem so we are just trying to sow some seeds here about healthy lifestyle choices and the importance of physical exercise for your general well being."

Blackman encouraged the children to find time to have a balance between academics and recreation. "All work and no play make Jack a dull boy and it goes the other way as well, all play and no work make Jack a dull boy."