I first heard about the Thrive Challenge back in February. It was attached to the bulletin board in the break room where I read the daily comings and goings from Walmart: the stock prices, the changes in policy. One of my co-workers said she had done the Challenge before, and she told me all about her Better Choices. I thought, “I could do that. This is a simple way to get healthier!” So I decided to try it. This is my eighth challenge and I am enjoying it every day.
“My husband and I walk every day.”
Everything in my life has changed since starting the Thrive Challenge. Before, as far as fitness goes, I was just coming home after work and not doing any kind of physical activity. Now, my husband and I walk two to three miles every day — he’s lost 20 pounds and I’ve lost 30 pounds.
During these walks, we get to know our neighborhood. We’ve been in the neighborhood six years now, and it always surprises us how many different walks of people you can run into just along the boardwalk. We walk further, and we learn different aspects of our neighborhood and what it has to offer. We learned there’s a Y.M.C.A. nearby where we can join other seniors who want to play bingo. We didn’t know that existed before our walks. There’s a farmers’ market every Tuesday where you can get fresh vegetables and meet people. We knew nothing about that before.
“I love knowing that I’m healing as I walk.”
My father died four years ago and it’s still a rough time for me. When we go for our walks, I tell my husband how I feel, and he talks about some of the medical challenges his parents are going through. We’re not complaining; there’s nothing negative, we’re just getting out our grief and we keep it moving. I love knowing that I’m healing as I walk.
“My husband is the chef.”
We’ve also cut out junk foods. We eat healthier and we cook together, which makes it more of a rewarding experience. My husband is the chef. He’s learning how to do sushi — we go deep sea fishing now, it’s a five hour thing on weekends. We don’t buy soda, we make freshly squeezed lemonade. We put the lemons in water and let the sun do its thing, no added sugar. We have a little garden in our kitchen window — we’re growing basil, parsley, and cilantro. The house smells like a kitchen, we don’t even need air freshener! The potpourri is the seasonings that are growing inside our kitchen.
“I’m enjoying my path.”
I would like to tell anyone who’s interested in changing their lives — physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually — to take that one step of downloading the Thrive App. Your life will totally change. I want to make sure that I keep doing this Challenge no matter what, win or not. My journey would never be complete without it. I’m enjoying my path, I’m really enjoying it.
—Peggie Libbett, Supercenter #2479; San Diego, CA; $5K Winner
Through the Thrive Challenge, our community is making Better Choices, seeing big results, and winning big.
Stories from past winners, such as Peggie Libbett, 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.