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By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

PELHAM – With the dawning of a new year comes one of the country’s most popular resolutions: a commitment to getting active. Pelham Parks & Recreation has planned an event with exactly this demographic in mind.

The Fitness Motivator is an annual event that encourages Pelham residents to build healthy habits and commit to fitness goals in 2025 and beyond. To participate in the event, residents need to pick up a challenge card at the front desk of the Pelham Recreation Center.

Tabitha Dudley is an operations supervisor with Pelham Parks & Rec. She gave context on the inspiration behind the annual Fitness Motivator event.

“The annual Fitness Motivator event is all about providing a fun and inspiring way for people to kickstart, revitalize or continue their health and wellness journey,” Dudley said. “We aim to inspire the community to embrace a healthier lifestyle, try new activities and build lasting wellness habits. We hope participants leave feeling energized, supported and motivated to prioritize their health in the year ahead.”

Dudley believes that one of the keys to the event’s success is its simplicity. Furthermore, the event has incentives: a T-shirt and an entrance into a raffle to win an unknown grand prize.

“It’s simple,” Dudley said. “You do have to be a member of the Pelham Rec Center to be able to participate. From there, just grab a Bingo card at the front desk and complete five challenges in a row. We will stamp as you go, and that’s it. The T-shirt is yours, and you’re entered in the drawing for the grand prize. This is the first year that we are doing a grand prize, so that’s a little different.”

The challenges the event requires vary in difficulty, but are generally accessible according to Dudley.

“The challenges are anywhere from taking a fitness class to walking one of our trails around the city to snapping a pic with an employee,” Dudley said. “So, truly any fitness level can complete the challenge. We hope that once it’s been completed they will continue on.”

Many Americans associate fitness goals with pushing and testing the physical limits of the human body. This is not the aim of the Fitness Motivator program, according to Dudley.

“Our goal isn’t necessarily to push people to their limits,” Dudley said. “It’s to push members to try new and different things. We get so caught up in regular routines, sometimes we need a little push to do a little more.”

While the main goal of the event is to promote the health and well-being of Pelham citizens, Dudley also emphasized that a sense of community was integral to the development of the event.

“Well, everyone loves a free T-shirt,” Dudley said. “Not only that, but we believe that when people participate in these challenges, they end up leaning on each other throughout the process and sometimes meet new people. Even if it’s to discuss a shared loathing for burpees. There are no burpees this year, we promise.”

To learn more about Pelham Parks and Rec’s Fitness Motivator event, visit the Pelham Rec Center or their website at Pelhamalrecreation.gov.