News Releases - Health, Medicine & Nutrition

Written by Kimberly Greene

Monday, 11 July 2011 14:09

International Royalty and Runners-Up Lose Combined Total of More than 850 Pounds!

MILWAUKEE, WI – Recognition is an important element of any journey to overall wellness – but a little friendly competition can make it more fun along the way. Members of TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), the nonprofit weight-loss support organization, were recently celebrated for their weight-loss efforts at its annual three-day event, International Recognition Days (IRD). This year’s event took place July 7 through July 9 in Milwaukee, Wis., the city where TOPS was founded more than 63 years ago and is currently headquartered. The festivity honored TOPS award winners who, with determination, perseverance, and support from fellow members, achieved the greatest weight loss in their category in 2010.

Dione Housden of Portland, Ore., was crowned 2010 International Queen with an incredible total weight loss of 228.5 pounds. Tom Carano of Wakefield, Mass., 2010 International King, lost an equally impressive total of 230 pounds. Royalty are those individuals who, at the end of the year, have officially recorded the largest weight loss from their original, starting weight to goal weight, regardless of the time taken to reach goal.

“I hadn’t been to a doctor in many, many years and finally decided that it was time one day in 2007,” says Housden. “I affectionately call that doctor’s visit ‘the day I found out I was dying.’ No, not literally, but yes, I was killing myself. I knew something had to be done. I went to a diabetes class, saw a nutritionist, and joined TOPS. I kept a food journal, weighing and measuring everything that I ate. I was being thrown a life jacket – I just had to grab hold. Eating right, exercising, and drinking plenty of water has become a part of my life now. Do I ever let go of my life preserver? Yes, sometimes I loosen my grip, but then I just grab it and hold tight again, because this time I know it means my life. Without the accountability and support of my TOPS chapter, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”

Carano notes, “At close to 500 pounds, it was an exhausting, possibly stroke-inducing chore just to reach my ankles to put my socks on. My doctor recommended weight-loss surgery, and as I reviewed information about the process, all of it stressed that healthy foods and physical activity would be needed to maintain a successful surgery. At that point, I made the decision for an honest attempt to eat healthy and get active instead of getting the procedure. I joined a water aerobics class and met a gentleman who told me about TOPS and his 60-pound weight loss. When I walked into my first TOPS meeting, I was welcomed with encouragement and hope. Being a member has given me a feeling of belonging, a sense of being part of something – which I had never known or felt previously. I truly feel wind in my sails and that the anchor has been lifted. TOPS has given me the faith to move a mountain. Today I can climb them!”

“It was a joy to celebrate our members’ weight-loss successes at this year’s IRD, particularly here in Milwaukee, where our organization was founded,” says TOPS president Barbara Cady. “Esther Manz, TOPS’ founder and first president, believed in the power of mutual support on the journey to better health and that anyone who succeeded in losing weight deserved the royal treatment. TOPS’ weight-loss ‘losers’ are truly winners in our eyes.”

International Royalty and Runners-up include:
• International Queen: Dione Housden; Portland, Ore.; 228.5 lbs.
• International King: Tom Carano; Wakefield, Mass.; 230 lbs.
• International Queen Runner-up: Sandra Burnison; Hamilton, Ontario; 190 lbs.
• International King Runner-up: Lee Hibbard; Ovid, Mich.; 202 lbs.

International Division Winners are members who lost the most weight of all TOPS members in their weight division during 2010:
• Division 1, First Place, Female: Anne Stinebrickner; Utica, N.Y.; 161 lbs.
• Division 1, First Place, Male: Kevin Carter; Botwood, Newfoundland; 126.5 lbs.
• Division 1, Second Place, Female: Julie Vanden Berg; Zeeland, Mich.; 154.75 lbs.
• Division 1, Second Place, Male: Brian Collins; Eugene, Ore.; 116 lbs.
• Division 2, First Place, Female: Valerie Wood; St. Albert, Alberta; 109.5 lbs.
• Division 2, First Place, Male: John Gill; Russellville, Ky.; 102 lbs.
• Division 2, Second Place, Female: Shirley Pelz; Clearwater, Kan.; 105.75 lbs.
• Division 2, Second Place, Male: Clifford Harris; Port Orange, Fla.; 98.25 lbs.
• Division 3, First Place, Male: Don Whiting; Kanata, Ontario; 77.5 lbs.
• Division 3, Second Place, Female: Shari Farrell; Hamilton, Ontario; 88 lbs.
• Division 3, Second Place, Male: Anson Myers; Carlisle, Pa.; 68.5 lbs.
• Division 4, First Place, Female: Barbara Harness; Monroe, Mich.; 65.25 lbs.
• Division 4, Second Place, Female: Linda Crow; Valles Mines, Mo.; 62 lbs.
• Division 4, Second Place, Male: Jack Tenney, Jr.; Fulton, Mo.; 48 lbs.
• Division 6 (teens), First Place, Female: Heather Perry; Ledyard, Conn.; 45.5 lbs.
• Division 6 (teens), First Place, Male: James Morrison; Redkey, Ind.; 41.75 lbs.
• Division 6 (teens), Second Place, Female: Corrina Chrisman; Wayland, Mich.; 40.75 lbs.
• Division 6 (teens), Second Place, Male: Jordan Ulicki; Fort Dodge, Iowa; 39 lbs.
• Division 7, First Place, Female: Sharlean McKee; Lakeview, Ore.; 116 lbs.
• Division 7, First Place, Male: Ron Olson; Meridian, Idaho; 106.5 lbs.
• Division 7, Second Place, Female: Karla DeGreenia; Sutton, Vt.; 112.5 lbs.
• Division 8 (preteens), First Place, Female: Mary Carson; Cincinnati, Ohio; 11.75 lbs.
• Division 8 (preteens), First Place, Male: Grant Whitfield; Altoona, Pa.; 13.5 lbs.
• Division 9, First Place, Female: Donna Steiner; Greenville, N.C.; 153.25 lbs.
• Division 9, First Place, Male: Peter Copley; Midland, Ontario; 162 lbs.
• Division 9, Second Place, Female: Darcelle Numainville; Cochrane, Ontario; 152.5 lbs.
• Division 9, Second Place, Male: Anthony Spilker; Grandview, Mo.; 155.5 lbs.

State Royalty includes:
• Alabama Queen: Linda Gaylor; Attalla; 66 lbs.
• Alabama King: Dale Hutchens; Huntsville; 78 lbs.
• Alaska Queen: Kathleen Daymude; Anchorage; 94.5 lbs.
• Alaska King: Roger Duncan; Kasilof; 66.5 lbs.
• Arizona Queen: Teena Conrad; Salome; 135.75 lbs.
• Arizona King: Walter Richardson; Phoenix; 61.75 lbs.
• Arkansas Queen: Karen Fritchie; Scranton; 118 lbs.
• Arkansas King: Frank Lieblang; Atkins; 21.75 lbs.
• California Queen: Diane Cannon; Napa; 97.75 lbs.
• California King: Fred Dougherty; La Puente; 55 lbs.
• Colorado Queen: Diane Bonnell; Arvada; 70.25 lbs.
• Colorado King: Dannie Thompson; Colorado Springs; 34 lbs.
• Connecticut Queen: Victoria Kolyvas; Madison; 127 lbs.
• Connecticut King: Peter Kaplenski; Bristol; 37.75 lbs.
• District of Columbia Queen: Margaret Haggerty; 15.5 lbs.
• Delaware Queen: Cornelia Mitchell; Felton; 65.5 lbs.
• Florida Queen: Jackie Christen; Iron River; 105.25 lbs.
• Florida King: Clifford Harris; Port Orange; 97.75 lbs.
• Georgia Queen: Sadie Bostick; Covington; 88 lbs.
• Georgia King: Philip Baker; Warner Robins; 63 lbs.
• Hawaii Queen: Carol Wendel; Kula; 52.25 lbs.
• Idaho Queen: Carol Applegate; Middleton; 73.5 lbs.
• Illinois Queen: Catherine Hays; White Heath; 119.75 lbs.
• Illinois King: Daniel McGinty; Port Byron; 124 lbs.
• Indiana Queen: Lori Bauch; Fort Wayne; 159 lbs.
• Iowa Queen: Corine Webb; Runnells; 76 lbs.
• Kansas Queen: April Bond; Wichita; 142 lbs.
• Kansas King: William Cunningham; Olathe; 48.5 lbs.
• Kentucky Queen: Tina Moore; Mayfield; 76.25 lbs.
• Kentucky King: John Gill; Russellville; 99.25 lbs.
• Louisiana Queen: Joleen Melancon; Golden Meadow; 126.25 lbs.
• Maine Queen: Cel Paquette; Chelsea; 129.5 lbs.
• Maine King: Richard Gile; Wales; 41 lbs.
• Maryland Queen: Rosalind Morrow; Annapolis; 106.75 lbs.
• Maryland King: Herbert Walker; Frederick; 44 lbs.
• Massachusetts Queen: Anna Corbett; Peru; 143 lbs.
• Massachusetts King: Tom Carano; Wakefield; 230 lbs.
• Michigan Queen: Ruth DeYoung; Cedar Springs; 109 lbs.
• Michigan King: Lee Hibbard; Ovid; 202 lbs.
• Minnesota Queen: Gloria Goble; Stillwater; 103.5 lbs.
• Minnesota King: Jason Heilman; Albert Lea; 18.25 lbs.
• Mississippi Queen: Jane Kay Pool; Laurel; 57 lbs.
• Mississippi King: Roger Redfern; Brandon; 28.5 lbs.
• Missouri Queen: Theresa Roe; Barnhart; 126 lbs.
• Missouri King: Joshua Hamilton; Independence; 83 lbs.
• Montana Queen: Leslie Berkey; Seeley Lake; 77 lbs.
• Montana King: Larry Bonefeole; Clinton; 28.5 lbs.
• Nebraska Queen: Betty Svanda; Ravenna; 64.5 lbs.
• Nevada Queen: Nola Reid; Mesquite; 52 lbs.
• Nevada King: Frank Bybee; Las Vegas; 42 lbs.
• New Hampshire Queen: Virginia Fairbanks; Windham; 85.5 lbs.
• New Hampshire King: Mark Papantones; Manchester; 89 lbs.
• New Jersey Queen: Nancy Duvall; Cape May; 24.25 lbs.
• New Jersey King: Robert McLaughlin; Cape May Court House; 62.75 lbs.
• New Mexico Queen: Joyce Wall; Deming; 79.75 lbs.
• New York Queen: Jaclyn House; Rochester; 128 lbs.
• New York King: Joshua Maryniewski; Lancaster; 152.25 lbs.
• North Carolina Queen: Polly Lincoln; Winston Salem; 114.5 lbs.
• North Carolina King: Charles Seighman; Albemarle; 30.5 lbs.
• North Dakota Queen: Jamie Olson; East Grand Forks; 76.5 lbs.
• Ohio Queen: Janice Ommert; Clyde; 102.5 lbs.
• Ohio King: Morgan Davies; Bluffton; 65 lbs.
• Oklahoma Queen: Bonnie Peebles; Sapulpa; 88.25 lbs.
• Oklahoma King: Robert Kuntz; Rush Springs; 30 lbs.
• Oregon Queen: Dione Housden; Portland; 228.5 lbs.
• Oregon King: Wayne Elven; Hillsboro; 75.75 lbs.
• Pennsylvania Queen: Eleanor Bird; Walnutport; 112 lbs.
• Pennsylvania King: James Kneubehl; Conneautville; 92.5 lbs.
• Rhode Island Queen: Lisa Scott; Westerly; 87.5 lbs.
• Rhode Island King: Bruno Kurowski; Manville; 31 lbs.
• South Carolina Queen: Patricia Volcke; Elgin; 86 lbs.
• South Carolina King: Stanley Kemp; Rock Hill; 50.5 lbs.
• South Dakota Queen: Marilynn Sour; Watertown; 77 lbs.
• Tennessee Queen: Kristy Griner; Hendersonville; 100.25 lbs.
• Tennessee King: Harold Griffin; Cleveland; 36.25 lbs.
• Texas Queen: Karen Norrod; Jarrell; 100 lbs.
• Texas King: Billy Bodine; Cleveland; 63.5 lbs.
• Utah Queen: Lisa Edens; Providence; 126 lbs.
• Vermont Queen: Rose Nunn; West Danville; 32.75 lbs.
• Virginia Queen: Caroline Nicholson; Strasburg; 59 lbs.
• Virginia King: John Walton; Roanoke; 48 lbs.
• Washington Queen: Penny Carson; Kalama; 135.75 lbs.
• Washington King: Brian Steinwand; West Richland; 67 lbs.
• West Virginia Queen: Brenda Rider; Shady Spring; 66 lbs.
• West Virginia King: Greg Ward; Kermit; 30 lbs.
• Wisconsin Queen: Mary Linssen; Green Bay; 106.75 lbs.
• Wisconsin King: Larry Orlando; Elkhorn; 100 lbs.
• Wyoming Queen: Linda Kolar; Thermopolis; 67.25 lbs.

Provincial Royalty includes:
• Alberta Queen: Darlene Crick; Bonnyville; 81.25 lbs.
• Alberta King: Ken Ralstin; St. Vincent; 82.5 lbs.
• British Columbia Queen: Barbara Balon; Comox; 127.75 lbs.
• British Columbia King: Mark George; Port Moody; 86.5 lbs.
• Manitoba Queen: Linda Reavely; Winnipeg; 111.5 lbs.
• New Brunswick Queen: Lisa Will; Petitcodiac East; 115 lbs.
• New Brunswick King: Gordon Piper; Minto; 36 lbs.
• Newfoundland Queen: Mary Price; Grand Bank; 79.75 lbs.
• Nova Scotia Queen: Laura McGrath; Truro; 91.25 lbs.
• Nova Scotia King: Peter Thomson; New Minas; 48.5 lbs.
• Ontario Queen: Sandra Burnison; Hamilton; 190 lbs.
• Ontario King: Don Whiting; Kanata; 166 lbs.
• Prince Edward Island Queen: Gloria Stewart; Charlottetown; 44.75 lbs.
• Prince Edward Island King: Michael Weeks; Charlottetown; 65 lbs.
• Quebec Queen: Gisele Villeneuve; Longueuil; 100 lbs.
• Saskatchewan Queen: Melody Mills; Yorkton; 139.5 lbs.
• Saskatchewan King: Paul Morin; Edam; 37.5 lbs.

TOPS Club Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), the original, nonprofit weight-loss support and wellness education organization, was established more than 63 years ago to champion weight-loss support and success. Founded and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, TOPS promotes successful, affordable weight management with a philosophy that combines healthy eating, regular exercise, wellness information, and support from others at weekly chapter meetings. TOPS has about 170,000 members in nearly 10,000 chapters throughout the United States and Canada.

Visitors are welcome to attend their first TOPS meeting free of charge. To find a local chapter, view www.tops.org or call (800) 932-8677.

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