The winners and second place team for the basketball tournament hosted by the HCTC Pathfinders. (photo by Patrick Davison)
The winners of the Smartest Loser pose with their certificates during the HCTC Pathfinder celebration. Michelle Cornett, Jody Fugate, Tonya Joseph, Jewelene Johnson, Brandi Pratt and not picture Stefani Crawford and three others lost a combined nearly 200 pounds in 13 weeks. (photo by Bailey Richards)
The Hazard Community and Technical College Pathfinders organization had a lot to celebrate recently as the college is nearing the end of the semester.
The Pathfinders of Perry County were started several years ago to promote a clean and healthy Perry County through involvement in the community and staying active. The HCTC group was started to do much the same thing. They go on monthly hikes and promote health and wellness for their members.
Recently, they did just that by hosting a weight loss event for several members. Twenty-five HCTC students began a journey to lose weight in what they are calling the “smartest loser.”
“We called it the smartest loser because we wanted to teach people to lose weight the smart way,’ said Pathfinder AmeriCorps Vista Krystal Chipman.
After hosting the competition for 13 weeks and having challenges and exercise opportunities, only nine students made it to the end. Combined, these nine students lost nearly 200 pounds in three months.
The smartest loser was determined not only by the amount of weight lost, but by the amount of events attended to help them reach their goal. The winner was Jody Fugate, second place went to Stefani Crawford, and third to Michelle Cornett, while everyone else received a certificate of achievement.
Along with the impressive weight loss, the HCTC Pathfinders are also celebrating the end of the semester. The celebration included basketball and corn hole tournaments, and free food.
Pathfinders have been aided in its last two years by AmeriCorps Vista Krystal Chipman. Now that her two-year stint is almost up, she will be heading off to graduate school, though she promised Pathfinders would continue running without her.
Pathfinders also has a new chairman. Patrick Davison said that the organization is hoping to get a new Vista, although nothing has been set. They both said that no matter what, Pathfinders will continue with its mission.
“We want to [have another vista],” he said. “It will go on, it just may not go on quite as well,”
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