Ruechoway, Santos win Gold’s Gym Saipan Challenge

Participants of the 2021 Gold’s Gym Saipan Transformation Challenge pose for a group photo during the awards banquet last Saturday. (Contributed Photo)

Paul Ruechoway and Emily Santos topped the 2021 Gold’s Gym Saipan Transformation Challenge with the former shedding 34 lbs and 9” around the waist and the latter losing 19.6 lbs and 6” around the waist.

Ruechoway and Santos were awarded $500 each during the 12-week fitness campaign’s awards banquet held last Saturday. A total of 42 took part in the challenge which awarded over $5,000 in cash and prizes.

“This entire journey has completely changed my life. I’ve become the healthiest I’ve ever been in my life and I feel confident and secure in my own body. Joining Gold’s Gym is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. I’ve found a new hobby and made great friends,” said Ruechoway, who was also won the most inspirational essay award.

Santos, for her part, said she didn’t let a defeatist attitude get the better of her in winning the female category of the transformation challenge.

“Always believe in yourself when you feel like quitting because you will like the end result which will become your greatest reward,” she said.

Santos was also the leader in the number of points awarded for visiting Gold’s Gym for boot camp, workouts, and classes.

Winners Paul Ruechoway and Emily Santos ate the winners of the 2021 Gold’s Gym Saipan Transformation Challenge. (Contributed Photo)

Gold’s Gym Saipan’s general manager Tyce Mister asked, “Is it a coincidence that the winner of most points also won overall? We don’t think so.”

He added that their mission is to help people achieve their potential through fitness.

“One motivator is the Gold’s Gym Challenge that began earlier this year in March. Gold’s Gym Saipan in partnership with PHI Pharmacy, Michelob Ultra, Brabu Pharmacy & Wellness Center, and Turn Key Solutions offer a huge ‘congratulations!’ to the participants in the 2021 Gold’s Gym Transformation Challenge,” he said.

Mister added that this year’s transformation challenge had a very high completion rate. “Forty-two challengers began the 12-week transformation challenge journey and 35 completed the challenge. This is a transformation contest, but 99% of the participants had the goal to lose weight. As a group, these 35 challengers lost over 388 lbs! This is an average of 13.8 lbs per person. Around the waist, the group lost an average of 4.4 inches with a total of 152.5 inches lost around the waist.”

Gold’s Gym hosted a boot camp throughout the competition that was led by Aaron Tomokane, NASM certified personal trainer.

Tomokane emphasized, “This is a transformation challenge and not a weight loss competition. We want everyone to be safe. We encourage body fat loss when necessary to be healthier, but we want to see lean body mass (muscle) either maintained or even increased as part of the transformation challenge. It is very difficult to lose fat body mass and at the same time maintain or even gain lean body mass.”

The transformation challenge is grateful to Tomakane for his role in completing the before and after photos and measurements.

Pomaikai Aldan, one of the other participants of the transformation challenge, shared this secret, “I ate very clean cooked foods and as much as possible avoided fast food and fried food.”

Additionally, Aldan offered some advice to others with the goal of weight loss, “Weight loss is very hard for many people so the best advice I can offer anyone is to commit fully to your health. We only get one body so we should do our best to treat it great. Take baby steps to reach your goals because all that matters is that you reach your goal, not how fast you get there. Health and exercise is a lifetime marathon not a short term sprint.” (PR)