Local Kids Fitness Guru Sets Guinness Book Record

SARASOTA -- Hundreds of families filled Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota on Saturday, as the Orioles' spring training home teamed up with I Train Your Kids and the American Cancer Society in hosting a charity event attempting to set a new Guinness World Record, all while raising funds to assist in the fight against breast cancer.

Photo by Dawn Maley

“Jumping Jacks For a Cure” set a new Guinness World Record for “the most people doing jumping jacks together” with 278. All proceeds are being donated to the American Cancer Society, “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” effort, said spokesperson and event chair, Bambi Famous Kaine, who is also a breast cancer survivor. Kaine proudly wore her pink “survivor” sash, as a badge of courage to the fundraising event.

The music, bananas, apples and water helped fuel the crowd, as hundreds of families, led by volunteers, lined up on the field and jumped their into the world record book, completing two full minutes of jumping jacks. Heather Hackett emceed the event and kept the crowd cheering as kids, parents, volunteers and survivors joined forces to fight breast cancer.

Hackett, local resident and founder of I Train Your Kids, an organization offering personal and group training for children ages 5 and up, is on a mission to improve the fitness and lifestyle of young kids and teenagers in the Manasota community.

"I wanted to give kids the opportunity to better themselves so they can become healthy," said Hackett, a certified youth fitness trainer. "They can learn to how to eat and exercise properly early on, so the rest of their life is easy. They're already healthy and don't have weight problems. I was the big kid. I was the one who had no self esteem and no confidence and that's truly why I do this. I want kids to learn early on what it's like to be confident. What it's like to have self-esteem. What it's like just to accomplish something."

Hackett, also an ex-teacher, is certainly leading by example. I Train Your Kids is becoming quite the talk of the town, offering affordable group and personal training with an added component that many programs lack. She focuses not only on the physical aspect of fitness, but also places emphasis in training young minds to make healthy choices.

"Everything right now is about convenience, and most things convenient or most things that are available are not the healthiest choice," she says. Smiling faces from the kids and parents would seem to agree.

Ryan Fields, an I Train Your Kids student has lost 22 pounds training with Hackett, and was featured recently on FOX Channel 10 alongside other smiling children, beginning to gain self-confidence, make healthy eating choices, improving overall health and fitness, and having fun preparing for the fundraiser. For many of these children, it was their first time raising money for a cause, or taking the steps necessary to achieve their goal, but with such a positive role model and fearless leader, instilling the self-confidence, they are quickly learning that their opportunities are limitless.

Many of the kids are already talking about beating this years world record next year. Hackett encouraged the fund raising efforts from the kids to continue, and is offering to donate $5 of each weeks tuition for any new registrations for her summer camp program.

In addition to personal training, I Train Your Kids is offering a fun and healthy kids summer camp at Sarasota Extreme Fitness, the area’s newest training facility. Camps are 8 am to 12 noon, Monday through Friday, June 7 through August 20. Kids from ages 8 to 18 at all levels of fitness are welcome. The cost of $145 per week includes all activities, healthy snack and a free week’s membership for parents to work out at Sarasota Extreme Fitness.

The camps will feature sport specific training in addition to workouts and indoor and outdoor activities as well as nutritional counseling. Campers don’t need any special equipment, they should just wear clothes appropriate for working out. There is also an option to purchase a healthy lunch.

I Train Your Kids also offers a “Family Boot Camp” and online personal training soon to be available. For women, A “Man Up, Ladies” extreme fitness group, meets Monday through Friday at 9:00 AM at Sarasota Extreme Fitness. It was featured on ABC Channel 7 in their “Workout Wednesday” feature just this past week.

Anyone interested in participating in can visit the  I train Your Kids website or call Heather Hackett directly at (941) 735-5822 for more information.