I began my Thrive Challenge two years ago. My friend and Thrive Champion Sunday Oguntoyinbo told me it could help me become a better person. I started and never wanted to stop! Although I’ve focused on making Better Food, Family, and Money Choices too, I’ve really loved working on my Fitness Choices. A while back, I fell down a staircase, which caused nerve pain in my back. I had a M.R.I. and I was told there was nothing that could be done, I would just need to live with the pain. When I started exercising more, the pain went away! I go to the gym all the time and do cardio and weight lifting. My wife pushes me to go because she knows I love it. I also encourage kids at my gym to make Better Choices in their own lives. I’m spending more time with my family and we’re cooking our food at home. We’ve stopped going out to restaurants and I bring my lunch to work. My wife and I will also make a list before going to the store — that way we don’t buy things we don’t need. We’re eating more vegetables and we read the labels on our food, so we can be sure they are good for our health.
- I go to the gym five times a week for two hours each time.
- Since starting Thrive, I’m saving up to $300 a month and have paid off my car loan.
- Now that I don’t have back pain, I’m sleeping much better at night.
Thrive has made me a better person. I’ve been able to overcome adversity. When I still had back pain, I would walk with a limp and keep to myself. I didn’t want to talk to anyone at work, because I was in so much pain. Now I never stop talking to others, and I’m always feeling grateful. I wake up every morning feeling happy — first I pray, and then I turn to the Thrive App. I believe that each journey starts with one step. With hard work and dedication, you can get started and you’ll never want to stop.
—Oladipo Olayemi, Walmart Customer; Janesville, WI; National Thrive Challenge $5K Winner
Through the Thrive Challenge, our community is making better, healthier choices, seeing big results, and winning big. Stories from past winners, such as Oladipo Olayemi, prove that every individual has the power to transform their life every day through a combination of small, healthier choices and peer-to-peer inspiration.