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Edie Guess, 34, from Albuquerque, NM is named one of GNC's Endurance Athletes sponsorship contest winners. (PRNewsFoto)
PITTSBURGH, PA USA
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Dianna Hassel, 37, from Fort Collins, CO is named one of GNC's Endurance Athletes sponsorship contest winners. (PRNewsFoto)
PITTSBURGH, PA USA
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John Zepeda, 35, of Pearland, TX is named one of GNC's Endurance Athletes sponsorship contest winners. (PRNewsFoto)
PITTSBURGH, PA USA
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Three Aspiring Athletes Win a Chance to Fulfill Their Long-Time Fitness Goals
PITTSBURGH, March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- An Air National Guardsman, a horse
surgeon and a T-12/L-1 paraplegic mother of three -- what do they all have in
common? Perseverance, dedication and the desire to push themselves to their
limits, as General Nutrition Centers, Inc. (GNC), the largest global specialty
retailer of nutritional supplements, found out during their Endurance Athletes
Sponsorship Contest. These three individuals were named winners of the web-
based essay contest that asked consumers to write why they would like GNC to
sponsor them in their pursuit of an endurance goal.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050303/CLTH007-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050303/CLTH007-b
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050303/CLTH007-c )
The contest was divided into three categories: men, women and "defying
the odds," which included individuals, both men and women, who truly overcame
an obstacle, such as an injury or disability, and still had the desire to
fulfill his/her fitness goal.
A GNC panel of judges, including company dietitians, scientific affairs
team members and professional tri-athlete Jessi Stensland, reviewed over 1,000
entries and selected a winner in each category based on the challenge itself
and the entrant's desire to achieve their goal.
Each of the winners will receive:
- Six pairs of Asics(R) running shoes
- Xterra(R) wetsuit
- GNC Team Pro Performance training and competition gear
- One year supply of GNC sports nutrition supplements
- Nutritional support from a GNC staff dietitian
- Paid entry fee into his/her endurance competition
And the Winners Are ...
In the women's category, the winner is 37-year-old Diana Hassel from Fort
Collins, CO. Hassel is an assistant professor of Equine Emergency Surgery and
Critical Care at Colorado State University. She is a 2002 Ironman Hawaii
world champion in the 30-34 age bracket and wants to return to the 2005
Ironman competition in Hawaii to set a new course record for the women's
35-39 age group.
"I had to sit out in 2004 due to an injury, but after attending the event
to support my friends I became incredibly motivated to come back stronger than
ever," said Hassel. "I'm very excited to be a part of the GNC Pro Performance
Team as I move forward to set a new record."
Similarly, men's category winner, John Zepeda is in training to compete in
this year's Ironman Brazil competition in May 2005. A 35-year-old Anheuser
Busch machinist and Air National Guardsman from Pearland, Texas, Zepeda has
been competing in triathlons for two years.
"This will be my biggest challenge yet," said Zepeda, "but I know that I
can do it. I am an endurance athlete fanatic. The folks at GNC will be a
great help during my training."
Thirty-four-year-old Edie Guess, has "defied the odds" to secure the third
and final spot in the GNC Endurance Athletes Sponsorship Contest. A mother of
three, Guess has been a T-12/L-1 paraplegic since the age of 15 when she was
run over by a car. Her husband began competing in triathlons in 2002 and
after watching him finish his second half-Ironman distance triathlon, she
became inspired to enter a competition with him. Using a handcycle, Guess is
training to participate in the Rock 'n Roll marathon in Phoenix, AZ this
upcoming January.
"This will be the first time I've ever done anything like this," said
Guess. "My husband and GNC have been so supportive, though, which is really
helping me gear up for the marathon. My goal is to just finish - although a
win would be great!"
GNC is the largest global specialty retailer of nutritional supplements,
which includes vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements, sports nutrition
products, diet and energy products and specialty supplements. GNC has more
than 4,900 retail locations throughout the United States, including more than
1,300 domestic franchise locations, more than 1,000 store-within-a-store
locations under its strategic alliance with Rite Aid and more than 800
locations in more than 35 foreign markets including Canada and Mexico.
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