Panit, Holloway are 2022 Gold’s Gym Challenge winners

Amanda Holloway, winner of the overall women’s category, poses with Gold’s Gym general manager Tyce Mister during the Gold’s Gym Challenge banquet last Saturday at Spicy Thai Restaurant. (LEIGH GASES)

Rainnier Panit and Amanda Holloway are each $500 richer after being declared overall  winners of the 2022 Gold’s Gym Challenge.

Panit, a 23-year-old freelancer, lost nearly 30 lbs, an estimated 9% body fat, 9 inches from his waist, and gained significant muscle tone and fitness. 

He told Saipan Tribune after being announced the overall winner that it was “all about the discipline and I’m so proud that I did it all the way.”

Holloway, a 30-year-old doctor at the Commonwealth Health Center, said she just wanted to take her health into her own hands. 

“I saw this challenge and I was like this would be a perfect opportunity for me to do it. I’m really grateful to Gold’s Gym for making it possible for me to do all of this and to make these changes for myself. I wasn’t honestly expecting that I would win. I was kind of just focusing on trying to be my best self and it was a surprise that I won.”

Rannier Panit, winner of the overall men’s category, flexes for the cameras as he receives his prizes during the Gold’s Gym Challenge banquet last Saturday at the Spicy Thai Restaurant.(LEIGH GASES)

This year’s challenge was eight weeks and had a total of 66 challengers sign up initially. Forty-six challengers completed the challenge, which is a 70% completion rate. The challenge began last April 16.

With the 46 challengers, their estimated average body fat percent lost was four percent. Their average inches lost around their waist was 3.5 inches and their collective inches lost was 160 inches. The average weight lost per challenger was 10.7 lbs and an amazing 493 lbs was lost overall for the whole group that participated this year.

Additionally for the challenge, there were age categories and winners for each as well. For the women’s 18 to 29 years old, first place was Ha Neul “Sky” Kim, second place was Jan Reyes, and third place was Melody Johnson.

For the men’s 18 to 29 years old, first place was Edgar Panlilio Jr., second place was Jason Salazar, who also won the most inspirational and best essay award, and third place was David Hidalgo.

In the women’s 30 to 49 years old, first place went to Cheryl Esguerra, second place went to “Mel” Chutima Borja, and third place was a tie between Cecile Guevarra and Aileen Pangelinan.

In the men’s 30 to 49 years old, first place went to Audie Maratita, second place went to Renato Barros, and third place went to Patrick Tudela.

In the women’s 50 years old and up, first place went to Desolee Calayo, second place Shielan Seno, and third place was a tie between Arianna Pando and Li Fen Luan.

The winner of the most challenge points went to Liezel Bordios.

Gold’s Gym Saipan general manager Tyce Mister said that “The Gold’s Gym Challenge is a ‘transformation contest.’ It is not meant to be just how much weight a person has lost. A person can burn 10 lbs of body fat and build 10 lbs of lean muscle and still weigh the same. And that really is the goal for a lot of people: to lose some body fat, without losing any lean body mass or to even increase their muscle mass.”

He added that “judging is based on a visible transformation (muscle tone, visible weight loss, and visual fitness). Judges also look at statistics and the essay if needed. The judging is not easy.” 

The challengers had a chance to compete for a piece of the $5,000 cash and prize pool.

The Gold’s Gym Challenge has been an annual event since 2013. The challenge serves the community to be a positive opportunity to promote health and fitness. The sponsors for this year’s event were Michelob Ultra, PHI Pharmacy, Brabu Pharmacy & Wellness Center, Turn Key Solutions, and Gold’s Gym Saipan.

Last year, Paul Ruechoway was the overall male winner and Emily Santos was the overall female winner.