BIG NEWS...PARTICIPACTION!!!

I was quite excited when I learned about this but couldn't say anything until now. Read this:

ParticipACTION Sun LIfe - Inspire the nation launches!

Canadians received a clear message today to "get active" as the ParticipACTION Sun Life - Inpire the nation tour launched in downtown Toronto. A crew of branded joggers ran through the city's downtown core to energize Torontonians to get active and join the physical activity movement. Donovan Bailey rallied bystanders to get moving by sharing his own story about what physical activity and sport mean to him. The event kicks off a nine-week, cross-country tour created by Sun Life Financial and ParticipACTION to energize all Canadians to join the physical activity movement.

Check out this link for more details about the Inspire the Nation Tour

So guess what??????

They will be launching in Ottawa (my hometown) on Monday June 29th and have invited me to be a special guest!!!!!!!!!!

I received an email from the public relations and communications manager, Katherine (super nice!!), at ParticipACTION a little while back telling me they would be launching this new program (The ParticipACTION SunLife Inspire the Nation Tour), and more importantly, "I WAS INVITED TO BE PART OF IT!!!!" I was so surprised and thrilled!!

The president and CEO of ParticipACTION, Kelly Murumets has asked me to join her on stage, along with Olympian Sue Hollaway (who became the first woman and first Canadian to compete in both Summer and Winter Games in the same year, in the 1976 Winter Olymics in cross-country skiing and 1976 Summer Olympics in canoe sprint ) and Canadian Television Celebrity, Farley Flex (Judge from CTV hit Reality Show, Canadian Idol)!

This is the media advisory they sent out..I think this is too cool:

ParticipACTION Sun Life – Inspire the nation tour comes to Ottawa with Farley Flex
City will come alive with active living messages
OTTAWA (ONTARIO) – The ParticipACTION Sun Life – Inspire the nation tour will come to Ottawa on Monday, June 29, 2009 to deliver a clear and simple message to the city – it’s time to get active and move more. The city will come alive with thought-provoking and inspiring “get active” messages on windows, parking spots, ground decals and banner wraps. And a branded jogging pack will run through the city, igniting excitement for physical activity. Before the tour moves on to continue its nine-week, cross-country tour, the public will be invited to visit the “Inspiration Booth” to get a free pedometer and record a video about how they’ve added more movement into their lives. Each video will be made into a ParticipACTION Sun Life commercial that can be e-mailed to family, friends and colleagues. The stories will be uploaded to ParticipACTION’s online Wall of Inspiration and some stories could be selected to be featured in nationally aired ParticipACTION television commercials in the fall of 2009.
Media are welcome to come down and record their own ‘get active’ video.
WHO:
Speakers

Kelly Murumets, President and CEO, ParticipACTION
Josée Dixon, Regional Vice-President, Business Development, Eastern Region, Group Benefits, Sun Life Financial
Farley Flex
Sue Holloway, Chairperson of Communications Action Team, Active Ottawa Actif

Special guests: Joania Burnett, featured in ParticipACTION’s ‘Get Inspired. Get Moving.’ television campaign
PHOTO OPPS:

Game of skip rope
Speakers making “get active” videos at Inspiration Booth
Public interacting with Inspiration Booth
Crew of branded joggers interacting with public
WHEN:
Monday, June 29th
11:30 a.m.
Media registration opens
12 noon
Speaking remarks from presenters
12:20 p.m.
12:30 p.m.
Photo opportunities with speakers
One-on-one interviews with speakers
Photo opportunities with public and of on-site activities
WHERE:
Capital Infocentre (90 Wellington Street – at the corner of Metcalfe and Wellington)
The event will be held outside. Please check in at the media registration desk.

If anyone of you in the Ottawa Area would like to come down and check it out, please do!!! I would love to see/meet you!

That's my big news....

Until next time

Joania (2KMINE!!!)

EXTRA! EXTRA!! Read All About It....MY BIG NEWS!!!!!!!!!!

So, I received an email yesterday from (you're not gonna believe this), Canadian Olympic medalist, Alison Korn. She won a silver medal in Atlanta (1996) and a bronze medal in Sydney (2000) in Rowing (womens coxed eights)!! She's a freelance sports writer who writes for The Ottawa Citizen ( for my blogger friends outside of Ottawa - that's our major newspaper) and a number of other newspapers/magazines including the Toronto Sun.

Anyway, she contacted ME, requesting an interview as she would like to feature ME and the story of my weight loss journey in NEXT WEEK'S PAPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you believe it??? She even checked out my blog!! My little old blog!! Crazy and wonderful all at the same time!!! Anyhoo, I spoke to her for about an hour yesterday responding to her questions regarding my journey, weight loss, program, exercise etc. She was quite friendly and easy to talk to and well you know I don't have a problem talking!!

So after completing the interview, she said that she will need to send over a photographer to take some pics. The timing could not have been more perfect. I told her that I was meeting my trainer in the morning at his training studio and it would be a good place to take the pics...but I needed to contact him just to confirm. She said no problem and asked that I call her back. I called Rob and left him a message...I was so excited I'm not even sure of what I said...I also sent him an email..Anyway, he responded that it would not be a problem - thanks for that, Rob!!

This morning, the photograper showed up bright and early, right on time at Rob's studio to take our pics.

When I woke up this morning, I was thinking, "maybe I should really pretty myself up for this". Then I thought, no way, I'm gonna be sweating and working my ass off (because Rob doesn't play when it comes to working out) I'm just gonna be me, just gonna be real...and that's exactly what I did (although I did spend a little time on my hair this morning)LOL!! Nothing major - just simple! :)

The photographer was friendly and it was over in minutes. My only request to him was to ensure that he did not take any unflattering butt shots!! He obliged :) , took the pics and was out of there. Rob and I continued on with the program!

You know, when I first decided to go public with my journey, I must admit that there were somewhat selfish reasons behind it. For one, I knew if I went public I would stand a better chance of succeeding because I did not want to fail or quit and have to inform and/or justify it to everyone. I also wanted to show people (especially those struggling with weight) that this could be done, THERE IS HOPE!

Over the last 6 weeks, I've come to really appreciate what going public with this journey is doing for me and others. First, I have and continue to receive such an amazing amount of support - it's incredible, thank you. I have also met so many people with the exact same struggles (some even worse) and they look to this blog and facebook group for support an inspiration. That's just amazing to me. What's rewarding to me is the number of individuals who have been inspired by what I'm trying to accomplish and have started "journeys" of their own. That makes me happy!!

Now, this feature in the Citizen, just means that I will be able to reach even more people and show them that a regular, fulltime working-wife and mother of a 2yr old can accomplish these goals. It's awesome!! I WILL SUCCEED (now more than ever!!)

So that's my BIG NEWS!! The article should be in Wednesday's paper (Health Section) but I will confirm that shortly!! I'm excited!!

Until then....

Joania (2K MINE!!!)