DATE: Sunday, October 26, 1997              TAG: 9710240264

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 14   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LEWIS KRAUSKOPF, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   63 lines

HOSPITAL, CITY COMBINE TO ARM SCHOOLS WITH FITNESS EQUIPMENT

FUN AND FITNESS-

two words that school and health officials worry don't go together often enough for kids.

Fun means playing video games, watching TV or using computers. Maybe hands and fingers get exercise, but not much else.

Chesapeake Public Schools and Chesapeake General Hospital are hoping to change that, by introducing them to push-ups, pull-ups, and pole climbs.

Last week, Camelot Elementary, G.W. Carver Intermediate and Butts Road Primary debuted their Project Fit America exercise stations, making 12 schools now equipped with the fitness gear. All 17 intermediate and elementary schools eventually will have the outdoor apparatus.

Carver students braved Thursday's chill for a demonstration of the seven different exercise stations.

Project Fit America spokesman Andy Rein, a former Olympic wrestler, peppered the students with a pep talk.

``I saw a lot of zeroes next to your names,'' Rein said, referring to fitness test scores. ``I want you to improve that.''

Rein, who took the silver medal at the Los Angeles Games in 1984, now travels the country going to the mat to get kids in shape.

It's important to catch children when they're young so they can develop good habits, Rein said.

``By the time they get to middle school, it's a different story,'' he said before the dedication.

Rein led about 20 Carver students, who had done well on their fitness tests, on the exercise equipment.

They pushed off the parallel bars, grasped the horizontal ladder and jumped onto steps.

After watching her classmates, Melanie MacCracken was eager to try all the exercises.

``Then you can lose weight and get stronger,'' the 9-year-old said.

Philip Payton, 10, also obviously was eager to try the new equipment. He dropped down and pressed his body parallel to the ground, imitating the ``triceps dip'' exercise he had just seen.

School officials are hoping that the students will spend some of their recess working out on the equipment, said Ann W. Myers, supervisor of health and physical education for Chesapeake Schools. Students also use the equipment during gym, Myers said. Children aren't the only ones being encouraged to get in shape: Residents can come out in the evening to use the equipment.

Each Project Fit America facility cost about $10,000, split between the school system and the hospital.

After the Carver students finished their demonstration, Principal Raymond Hopkins received a fitness challenge of his own from Myers: One pull-up.

As the students crowded around, Hopkins removed his suit jacket and stepped up to the bar. One, two, three pulls - and then he dismissed the students. ILLUSTRATION: Photos by PHILIP HOLMAN

Olympic silver medalist Andy Rein, regional director for Project Fit

America, shows off his wrestling moves to Steve Weinberg, 10.

Carver Intermediate principal Raymond Hopkins rises to the challenge

of his students to do a pull-up. Each Project Fit America facility

cost about $10,000, split between the school system and Chesapeake

General Hospital.

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