Teaming up to make Winnipeg one Fit City

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This article was published 23/12/2021 (1478 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Milt Stegall hasn’t played a down since 2008, but you wouldn’t know that by the way he still trains.

He sprints up hills, does plyometrics, runs routes as part of his fitness regime in order to stay true to his old saying, “Thin in the waist and cute in the face.”

“You give me a driveway, a hill, or a phone booth, I have enough in my arsenal where I’m gonna continue doing something. I’ve never done any type of drugs, but working out and staying in shape is a drug to me,” Stegall told the Free Press, from Atlanta.

“When I can’t do it, it’s a problem… my wife thinks I’m crazy. I still train like I’m playing.”

Stegall, who played 14 seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and is the CFL’s all-time leader in touchdown catches (147), knows he’s an extreme example and doesn’t expect others to follow suit. But he hopes his passion for fitness and healthy living will help inspire Manitobans to get up and move around.

That’s why he and local workplace health and wellness expert Jordan Cieciwa are launching a program called The Fit City Challenge to make Winnipeg the healthiest city in Canada in 2022.

“I think I’m one of the luckiest Winnipeggers as I get to work with Milt and see his other side,” said Cieciwa, 42, who used to train Canadian Olympic hopefuls, NHL players, and UFC fighters in California before shifting his attention to everyday people.

“Everybody’s a fan (of Stegall) and they’re a fan because of his football career, but I get to see him work as a businessman — his intelligence, his integrity, and his genuine love for the city of Winnipeg.”

The pair of fitness fanatics is offering weekly challenges to encourage healthier habits, access to a library of content from wellness professionals, a bi-weekly Q+A session with local experts, and more.

The project has no out-of-pocket costs to Manitobans with a valid health card, thanks to a partnership with MD Lifestyle Solutions. The doctors and health-care professionals at MD Lifestyle Solutions are also a part of the action as they will provide participants with appointments with American Board of Obesity Medicine physicians, exercise assessment and fitness testing, fitness report cards, and continuity of care and follow ups moving forward.

There’s also a workplace wellness program that features a virtual half-day seminar Feb. 16 with Stegall and Cieciwa. Thanks to a grant from Retrain Manitoba, workplaces that sign up early will have their registration fee reimbursed.

The program is suitable for people of all fitness levels, said the CFL legend.

“When people see me at the track (in Atlanta) all the time, they always ask me, ‘How much would you charge me to work out with you?’ And I’m always like, ‘If you want to work out with me, I’m not going to charge you anything. I just want you to be as healthy as you can be. Come out here and join me. I just want you to be healthy.’ That’s how I feel about the people in Winnipeg and Manitoba. I just want them to feel healthy and happy,” said Stegall, now 51.

“When you’re healthy, you’re happy. Having a bunch of money won’t necessarily make you happy, but when you’re healthy, you’re happy because you feel so much better. That’s my main reason for doing this. I want to ensure people are healthy and happy.”

It’s the time of year when the fitness industry notoriously targets people with New Year’s resolutions to get in shape. Whether it’s a gym membership, a workout plan, or workout equipment, most people tend to throw in the towel before January even ends. It’s so common that Jan. 14 has been labelled ‘Quitters Day.’

Cieciwa and Stegall want to combat that, so they’ve targetted the challenge to begin Jan. 17.

“We’re trying to get people to switch away from ‘I’ve got to go to the gym. I have to be somewhere to exercise.’ Putting more pressure is exactly what we want to get away from,” Cieciwa said.

“Our feeling is if we can create small changes so somebody has better nutrition, they’ve got different ways of thinking about wellness, and thinking about themselves completely differently, then that to me means as they progress and it becomes a habit, now we can add boot camps to that. Now we can start adding CrossFit or whatever. But jumping straight into those demands on the body causes failure.”

The pandemic has presented no shortage of challenges to everyone’s fitness journey. With the Omicron variant spreading fast and stricter restrictions likely on the horizon, there’s no telling what the coming months, or weeks, will look like.

Cieciwa and Stegall hope their guidance can keep people on track despite everything going on.

“I tell people ‘Don’t be motivated, be driven.’ When there’s something that drives you, you’re going to do it regardless if you have to adjust your plan… Motivation can only last so long, but I think when you’re driven, it can last forever,” said Stegall.

“Understand that sometimes you’re going to be thrown off, but there are many ways that you can continue, I won’t say working out, but I will say continue moving. Even if you can’t go to the gym or go outside, you will find a way.”

Those interested in signing up can do so at www.fitcityproject.com.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31