Dr. Sanjay Gupta hopes to inspire healthier lifestyles

By CAROLYN LUCAS-ZENK

Stephens Media

Every workout, adventure and feeling shared online or on television is like a stepping stone on a fitness journey everyday Americans on CNN’s Fit Nation triathlon team must take to find their inner worth.

However, the team’s leader — 42-year-old practicing neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta — also hopes viewers discover the same deserving value, are inspired and begin pushing their own boundaries.

“There are the tangible reasons we’ve all heard before like finding the time. But I believe the hardest thing for most people is believing that they’re worth it,” he said Tuesday afternoon, following an open water swim in West Hawaii. “You can live longer, more functional lives.”

In today’s hyper-competitive world, Gupta said exercise is often considered a luxury and not always valued, especially in western countries. He thinks everyone has a personal responsibility to take care of his or her body and know the right thing to do, including working toward validation, setting priorities and committing to changes.

To practice what he preaches, Gupta launched in 2009 Fit Nation, CNN’s multi-platform anti-obesity initiative, which strives to inspire viewers to lead healthier, more active lifestyles. The third Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge consists of seven selected CNN viewers and Gupta who will compete mid-September in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon.

The program follows their progress as they inspire each other while training for the California triathlon, consisting of a half-mile ocean swim, 18-mile bike ride and 4-mile run. The team, dubbed “Lucky 7,” includes people experiencing different life situations, such as a diabetes sufferer, an amputee, a veteran who struggled with quitting smoking and a busy working mom.

“It’s not about triathlon or losing weight, it’s about making major life changes, changes for life,” Gupta said. “I have the privilege of taking seven athletes who are perhaps like you and never dared to dream of doing a triathlon across the finish line. Along the way, they will hopefully become partners for people around the country who will decide to try something for themselves.”

So far, the most gratifying experiences for Gupta and the team are when people say they have helped them become more knowledgeable, had a direct impact on their health or served as an inspiration.

Gupta, who arrived Monday on Hawaii Island, started training and competing for triathlons four years ago. He said it changed his life in unexpected, positive and remarkable ways.

According to Gupta, he learned to swim, as well as found genuine camaraderie in the sport and his competitive spirit. Triathlons engaged his different muscle groups and provided intense upper body training, changing his physique, posture and metabolic range. He felt stronger physically, sharper mentally and more in touch spiritually. It also bettered his time management.

Gupta and the team are on Hawaii Island for a week-long training camp, based at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows. The camp consists of running drills and swims in nearby locations, as well as bike workouts along Queen Kaahumanu Highway. Their coach is April Gellatly Burkey, who has successfully competed at all triathlon distances from sprint to iron. This is the second time the training camp has been held here.

Training where the Ironman World Championship is held annually serves as a huge motivator for team members, who have decided to make a triathlon apart of their lives, have learned all about this big race and seen “the iconic images of this incredibly beautiful place,” Gupta said.

All of CNN’s athletes crossed the finish line of the 2011 New York City Triathlon and Gupta is confident this year’s team will too in California. He said there would be no sitting back, just hard work and not a single day wasted for the team over the next five months.

For more information, visit cnn.com/SPECIALS/fit.nation/index.html.

Email Caroyln Lucas-Zenk at clucas-zenk@westhawaiitoday.com.