Biggest loser title Sharon's proud of

Last year's Rotorua Group Challenge weight loss group winner Sharon Grinter. 16 January 2015 Photograph Stephen Parker. RGP 23Jan15 - BIGGEST LOSER: Sharon Grinter signed up for another 12 wee

Rotorua Group Challenge winner
Being known as the biggest loser might upset some people, but for Rotorua mother-of-two, Sharon Grinter, it's a title she's proud of.

"I started bootcamp in the winter last year, then I went on to win my second challenge, and this will be my third.
"The first one I started because a good friend of mine, Sue Granger, posted something on Facebook. She said she managed to run twice around Smallbone Park, and that was at the start of that challenge, and I just thought, oh my gosh, if she can do it, I can do it. So she was my inspiration," says Sharon.

"But I hated the first challenge. It was cold and I just didn't enjoy it. I wasn't in the right head space. But the next challenge, I was angry, and it helped. There was no looking back, I wanted to win."

The Rotorua Group Challenge, run by personal trainer David Massey, is open to people off all ages, shapes and sizes to come together at least once a week at set locations and undergo bootcamp-like training to increase fitness levels. Each participant pays $20 to join and 70 per cent of that goes into a pool of prize money for the person who looses the highest percentage of body fat.

Last year there was a total of 63 participants, and Sharon lost a total of 14.8kgs, or 15.1 per cent body fat allowing her to take away $800.
"My goal was to get to 85kgs by Christmas. Now I'm less than that. It's hard work but it paid off."

This year, Sharon says she's chosen to do it all over again, but this time, she's competing again a group that's more than doubled in size.

"When it [Rotorua Group Challenge] first started there was about 12 people. Now there's 167 people in this challenge. When I turned up to weigh in on Sunday night I couldn't believe it. There were queues. I ended up helping out. And when I turned up on Tuesday, it was like a mini concert. All these people were waiting for something to happen."
Sharon says it may have been her friend, Sue, and the scare of approaching 100kgs that lead her to start training, but it's her kids that keep her motivated each week.

"They're so proud of me. I'd come home from a weigh in one night and I went upstairs and I cried. They came up and said, what's the matter? And I said, I've just lost four kilos, in a week. And they said, we're so proud of you. They high-fived me.

"They said, we don't care if you win the challenge, just please don't put the weight back on. I need to keep up with them, they're both so fit, and I wanted to be able to go outside with them and play games with them. Now we do."

Sharon is now training for the Rotorua Marathon in May, and we wish her the best of luck.
To find out more about the Rotorua Group Challenge visit their Facebook page.