Be Well Philly – 2014 Health Hero Challenge

This year’s Be Well Philly/Philadelphia magazine Health Hero Challenge included a personal trainer specializing in women’s fitness, a high school health and physical education teacher, a pastor who started a “Fit Ministry,” and a child health advocate who works to influence Pennsylvania health laws that pertain to children. All of the finalists make a difference in the health and well-being of their communities.

Pastor W. Lonnie Herndon of The Church of Christian Compassion in southwest Philadelphia founded a fit ministry at his church that helps educate his congregation about healthy eating and gets his church members moving with exercise classes.
Pia Martin, a health and physical education teacher at Science Leadership Academy, won the Health Hero Challenge this year. Ms. Martin works hard to get her students to understand that the health and fitness choices they make now will have a big impact on their lives in the future.

Colleen McCauley, the health policy director at Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), has worked for thirteen years to change laws in Pennsylvania that pertain to children’s health. One recent campaign got the Children’s Health Insurance Program to start covering replacement glasses for children who lost or broke the one pair of glasses that the program had previously provided.

Allison Schwartz is the founder of GFit Women, a women’s fitness center in Huntington Valley and Dresher. GFit Women not only helps women to increase their fitness levels, but also works to create a community of women who support each other in attaining their fitness goals.
This is a short documentary about this year’s contest, featuring Emily Leaman (Health and Fitness Editor, Philadelphia magazine), David Lipson (Chairman and CEO, Philadelphia magazine), and Kim Eberbach (Vice President of Wellness and Community Health at Independence Blue Cross).