Report From the Inland Ukiah Childhood Obesity & Family Wellness Action Team

After a few months of discussions and meetings, the Childhood Obesity and Family Wellness (CHOW) team decided to narrow our efforts to create tangible change in the community. Out of over 100 Community Health Indicators, the CHOW team chose to focus on two: 5th Grade Students who are at healthy weight or underweight and 7th Grade Students who are physically fit.

• The current statistics show 52% of 5th grade students in Mendocino County are at healthy weight or underweight, meaning 48% percent are either overweight or obese. Obese and overweight children and adolescents are at risk for multiple health problems during their youth and as adults. Obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults.
• 59.7% of 7th Grade students are measured as physically fit which translates to over 40% of our 7th graders being unfit based on the annual California Physical Fitness test. Physical fitness has been linked to higher academic performance, better concentration, and increased confidence and self-esteem. Students who are more physically fit are less likely to suffer from stress, anxiety, and depression.

The event we chose to hold in an effort to move the meter was the first annual Kids Triathlon. The event took place on Saturday, July 22nd at Todd Grove Park with 125 children participating! Kids swam in the Ukiah Municipal Pools, biked in the Anton Stadium parking lot and ran in Todd Grove Park. The event was open to any child 15 years old or younger – even a 3 year old participated! Registration for the Kids Triathlon was at a very low and affordable rate of $10.00 ($15.00 day of) which included a spot in the event, a Kids Triathlon t-shirt, a goodie bag, a lunch ticket, and a pool pass. The event was divided in to 4 levels with suggested age groups. The goal was to complete as many laps as possible in the amount of time given. This triathlon did not have 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place winners; instead, each child received an official certificate showing the amount of laps completed. Every child had the chance to feel accomplished!

LEVEL    SUGGESTED AGES           MIN/ACTIVITY

1-            5 years & under                 10 minutes

2-            6 years – 9 years               10 minutes

3-            10 years – 12 years           15 minutes

4-            13 years – 15 years           20 minutes

There was a tremendous level of community support for this event. The team was able to raise over $5,000 in sponsor money and secure over $1,000 in donations. The funds and product donations provided goodie bags, BBQ lunch for 400, t-shirts for participants, reimbursement for City staff time including Lifeguards, and miscellaneous supplies/ decorations. With over 25 agencies sponsoring, partnering and donating it was a true community event.

The feedback from parents and participants surveyed at the event was overwhelmingly positive. 82% said they would participate again and 14% said they might. Kids picked different components (swim, bike, run) for which part they liked best and parents said “seeing kids succeed” was what they appreciated most. There are a lot of areas that could be improved but most of those are due to such a large turnout for the initial event that streamlining check-ins and BBQ lines will be needed. These are good problems to have as they are a result of high numbers of participants, families and volunteers at the event.

There was a sister-event in Fort Bragg at the CV Starr Center, led by Mendocino Coast Recreation and Parks department staff on July 29^th. This Kids Triathlon mirrored the one in Ukiah in terms of rules, schedule, and goals but had different sponsors and volunteers. The coast Kids Triathlon had 34 kids participate and was well received.

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Jake Burgess has been working in the Recreation Department at the City of Ukiah for 12 years. He lives in Ukiah with his wife and two children.