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Into it, heart and sole

By JANE MADDEN WELCH
Published February 14, 2006

CLEARWATER - Hunsinger School third-grader Jesse Aldridge fell to the ground, clutching a Cool Blue Gatorade bottle.

"I'm tired," he said.

He's one of 32 students in the school's Runners Club, which challenges kids to run 1 mile, or four laps around the bus circle. On this recent day, Jesse completed the mile and shaved several seconds off his previous time.

He enjoys the club. "Running is important. It helps you digest your food and stay healthy," he said.

According to the National Institutes of Health, one in five American children is overweight. That, coupled with cutbacks in school physical education programs, presents a challenge to schools across the country.

That's why Hunsinger principal Mary Sakoff is so thrilled with the success of the school's Runners Club. In her 26 years of education, Sakoff said she has seen more overweight children everywhere.

"The interest and enthusiasm (for the club) has been growing," Sakoff said. "It's caught on with the students. I'm excited to see it."

A year ago, Hunsinger social worker Mary Stewart-Wong teamed up with P.E. coach Norma Respess to start the club. Hunsinger, which is one of five exceptional-student-education schools in Pinellas County, teaches students in grades kindergarten through 12 who have emotional and behavioral challenges.

The Runners Club, which is held on the last Friday of the month, was first introduced to elementary students. It has been such a success, school officials said, it is now offered to Hunsinger's middle and high school students.

"At first we weren't sure it would work because the students get upset with themselves so easily," said Chris Ehlers, who teaches fourth- and fifth-graders. "But they love it. Every month they know when it's Runners Club day."

Stewart-Wong stands at the bus circle with a stopwatch to record students' times, cheering them on as they run by. Children who cannot run the entire mile are encouraged to power walk. If they complete four laps without stopping, students get a key chain in the shape of a foot.

Stewart-Wong is a big proponent of regular exercise. She has been running for 25 years. Six days a week, rain or shine, heat or cold, she hits the pavement at 4:30 a.m. and runs 8 miles.

"I feel so much better after I run," she said.

She often hits the pavement with friend Noora Alidina, who runs competitively. Stewart-Wong invited Alidina to the Runners Club to talk about the importance of keeping fit.

Alidina, a Palm Harbor mother of five, said that 18 years ago she could barely run a quarter of a mile. So she began walking with a neighbor.

"I started with 3 miles," she said. "After a few months, I could do another 3, then another."

Last summer, Alidina, 49, participated in a 135-mile Death Valley desert run. She completed the race, running nonstop for 42.5 hours.

Her story was an inspiration to Runners Club students. An added incentive was the Gatorade Alidina provided for students who made it a mile.

Fifth-grader Chris Conaway, 10, said he was a little nervous about running with the club for the first time in January.

"I don't know if I can do it or not," he said. But with the encouragement of classmates and a look of determination, Chris did all four laps.

"It's important for the kids to see what they're capable of doing," Respess, the P.E. coach, said.

Last fall, parents were invited to run with their children to encourage family exercise.

"It's wonderful, especially for our kids," Respess said. "It does give them confidence and makes them feel good."

[Last modified February 14, 2006, 02:45:31]