Nothing can keep our Fitness Challenge pairs down.

Not shinsplints. Not bad knees. Not surgery.

Not the stairs at Red Rocks. Not the lure of chocolate. Not guilty feelings about taking time to take care of themselves.

Our seven sets of partners — co-workers Scott Hutchings and Denise Perez; sisters Maria Watts and Jennifer Kelley; moms-daughters Joyce and Heather Deese, and Mouy Sanchez and Justina Chao; best friends Karen Thorne and Lydia Marshall-Mack; and spouses Ron and Pauleta Oehlerking and Charles and Michelle West — have reached the halfway point in their six-month adventure in healthy living.

And they're looking and feeling better than ever, thanks to perseverance — and personal trainers Denise Tryner and Malena Marquez and Drill Sgt. Mandy Seiverts from Bootcamp360. The proof is in the amazing results of the assessments done by wellness specialists Debbie Reiman and Carol Brown at the Denver Athletic Club: Everyone has lost body fat and added years to their lives.

There have been setbacks, to be sure. Michelle's nagging Achilles pain prompted her to consult a podiatrist, who promptly immobilized her lower leg in a boot. So much for cardio workouts.

"Because immobilization didn't reduce or end my Achilles pain, I felt that surgery would bring a quicker resolution of my problem," says Michelle, who is recovering nicely and is eager to get back on track.

Scott had been ignoring the pain in his heels and shins since the Challenge began. When he finally went to the doc, the diagnosis wasn't pretty: He suffered from shinsplints and plantar fasciitis, which usually results in heel pain.

"I learned a really tough lesson: Listen to your body!" he says. "I (had) to give up running and high-impact work for at least a month, which meant quitting bootcamp and totally switching around my workout schedule."

Scott's advice: "If something continues to hurt after icing and ibuprofen, you probably need to see a doctor quickly."

Not all the struggles have been physical. Jennifer says she's learned to live without a daily candy bar, and she's dealing with her emotional eating issues.

"When I do want what I call my comfort foods, I'll drink a glass of water first and then ask myself what is it that I really want," she says. "Usually, it's something far from food — a hug, to vent, to cry or just someone to listen. I'm learning to take care of myself and not smother my feelings with food."

She's grateful she has her sister, Maria, to lean on when she's wrestling with cravings. As for Maria, she's dealing with her own conflicts.

"I almost feel guilty sometimes going to get my workout in and missing my son's baseball or football games, or leaving work at 5 p.m. instead of staying until 6 or 6:30," she says. "I know how important it is to stay in shape for my own health — emotional and physical."

Joyce has gotten over the initial shock to her system of regular exercise and now misses her workouts if she skips one.

"That's improvement, because so many times you reach a certain goal and then you just start sliding by, and you lose the momentum and energy that keep you on track," says Joyce, who has lost 14 pounds and reduced her body fat by nearly 5 percentage points. "I'm convinced that I will finish the Challenge with a whole new mind-set that will keep me on a healthy and fit road."

The Challenge isn't a competition, but if it were, Pauleta and Ron would be the winners. They're the oldest of the seven pairs at 65 and 64, respectively, but their energy and enthusiasm (not to mention their wellness ages, a measurement of how they compare fitness-wise with their peers) reflect the fact that they're younger than their years. In the past three months, they've lost nearly 30 pounds together — all without nagging each other once.

"Ron is the champion," Pauleta says of her husband of 40 years. "His flexibility is better than mine — and I'm the one who stretches!"

In three months, Ron's aerobic capacity has gone from fair to superior. That's the kind of improvement that can happen if you're willing to get up before dawn and run stairs — despite a bad knee.

"If you can feel this much better in just three months," Ron says, "why not make it your lifestyle?"

Bring on the second half!

Ron and Pauleta Oehlerking

• Relationship: Spouses

• Support plan: Accountability about exercise; watch portion size without being naggy.

RON

• Age: 64

• Job: Full-time volunteer

• Height: 5 feet 8 inches

• Weight then: 226; now: 209

• BP then: 138/78; now: 120/72

• Body fat then: 32 percent — obese; now: 29.6 — overweight

• Aerobic fitness then: Fair; now: superior

• Flexibility then: Fair; now: nearly excellent

• Wellness age then: 71; now: 62

• Goals: Reduce body fat, increase stamina, get back into Marine Corps shape and be the best possible "grandpa" to 90 abused kids.

• Thoughts: The fact that I have had a bad knee from the beginning and that I have still been able to complete the strenuous workouts has been a blessing. Over the past three months, I have learned to program myself into a beneficial, regular fitness routine. In addition, our eating habits have changed to be more healthy.

• What he says about Pauleta: After 40 years of marriage, I didn't think there was much to learn about Pauleta. But I was really surprised. She is SO AWESOME! At 65, there is nothing she can't do. I'm in total amazement when I see her doing the push-ups, sit-ups and all the running. On top of all that, she still goes to Curves to work out every morning.

PAULETA

• Age: 65

• Job: Sales associate

• Height: 5 feet 6 inches

• Weight then: 154; now: 142

• BP then: 120/80; now: 100/70

• Body fat then: 34.6 percent — overweight; now: 30.3 percent — moderate

• Aerobic fitness then: Good; now: excellent

• Flexibility then: Average; now: good

• Wellness age then: 65; now: 60

• Goals: Reduce body fat, increase stamina, be the best possible "grandparent" for 90 abused kids.

• Thoughts: I had hoped to have lost more weight by now, but my body fat dropped, and that was one of my major objectives. I no longer crave chocolate, but I will have some occasionally — everything in moderation. We had an abundance of energy to host "Cousin Camp" for our grandchildren for a week. We felt like Energizer bunnies. I ran a 5K at altitude and had a respectable time of 40 minutes.

• What she says about Ron: The drop in his wellness age is incredible. I've learned that Ron is focused and determined to make this challenge a new way of life. We want this to be a permanent lifestyle, not just six months.

Scott Hutchings and Denise Perez

• Relationship: colleagues

• Support plan: One workout a week together; daily encouragement and support at the office

SCOTT

• Age: 31

• Job: Denver City Council aide

• Height: 5 feet 6 inches

• Weight then: 236; now: 226

• BP then: 124/78; now: 116/72

• Body fat then: 30 percent — obese; now: 28.3 percent — overweight

• Aerobic fitness then: good; now: good

• Flexibility then: poor; now: still poor, but nearly 100 percent improvement

• Wellness age then: 38; now: 34

• Goals: Reduce my body fat and increase my flexibility. Train for triathlons.

• Thoughts: I truly believed I would have lost more weight by now. Don't get me wrong — 10 pounds is great. But I thought it would be closer to 15 to 20. I'm going to shift my attention more to nutrition and focus on doing lower-end cardio work for long stretches of time.

• What he says about Denise: I envy her when it comes to some of the exercises. I will be next to her doing the plank, and she is very calmly talking about the weather while I have sweat dripping down my face and I am yelling and screaming for mercy!

I need to encourage her more during the cardio portions of the workouts. She is so positive, and I want to try to reciprocate that positive energy and help her through the final half of the challenge.

DENISE

• Age: 41

• Job: Denver City Council aide

• Height: 5 feet 1 inch

• Weight then: 160; now: 152

• BP then: 130/100; now: 135/105

• Body fat then: 33.9 percent — overweight; now: 29.1 percent — moderate

• Aerobic fitness then: fair; now: excellent

• Flexibility then: average; now: excellent

• Wellness age then: 48; now: 40

• Goals: To increase my strength and physical endurance one day at a time and run a half-marathon in 2006.

• Thoughts: People are starting to notice how my body is changing. Friends are becoming SO motivated by seeing my results they have jumped on board and are now working out with me.

I'm making progress toward my goal of becoming "athletically fit," not just thin. I can have the lifestyle that I want, and I can truly motivate others to take action to have a healthier lifestyle as well.

• What she says about Scott: When he says he's going to do something, he gives it his absolute all. He makes even the toughest situation look so easy. I've also learned how positive, encouraging and funny he is, even when the workout is sooo painful and at times seems impossible. I'm going to be sure that we remain focused, motivated and committed by remaining positive and energetic.

Jennifer Kelley and Maria Watts

• Relationship: sisters

• Support plan: Weekly goal-setting, weigh- ins, work out together at least three times a week.

MARIA

• Age: 41

• Job: office manager

• Height: 5 feet 4 inches

• Weight then: 196; now: 189

• BP then: 120/90; now: 145/90

• Body fat then: 34.1 percent — overweight; now: 27 percent — moderate

• Aerobic fitness then: very poor; now: good

• Flexibility then: excellent; now: excellent

• Wellness age then: 47; now: 41

• Goals: To learn how to balance a busy lifestyle with taking care of myself; to live a long life through good nutrition and exercise.

• Thoughts: The hard work is paying off! I went from the "overweight" status of 34 percent body fat to "moderate" status of 27 percent body fat in 10 weeks. I'm definitely just putting my mind to journaling my diet day in and day out.

I've learned a lot about putting myself first, which has actually been hard to do around my work schedule and my 14-year-old's busy sports life.

• What she says about Jennifer: She has shown great willpower and dedication. She definitely deserves to treat herself to the great changes I see in her. We have a plan to e-mail each other our food journal for the day. We both have been working hard at keeping the motivation going and boosting each other when we need it. So here we go, Sis!

JENNIFER

• Age: 43

• Job: human services caseworker

• Height: 5 foot 4 inches

• Weight then: 204; now: 199

• BP then: 124/80; now: 105/77

• Body fat then: 34.2 percent — overweight; now: 31.5 percent — overweight

• Aerobic fitness then: very poor; now: fair

• Flexibility then: excellent; now: excellent

• Wellness age then: 47; now: 41

• Goals: Make a commitment to exercise so that it becomes a natural part of my day. Learn to eat better and healthier and still occasionally be able to eat some chocolate.

• Thoughts: I have to get my head off the scale and focus on my food diary. I'm very happy that my cardio went from very poor to fair, and I did lose some body fat and gain muscle. My sister gave me a gift of a heart monitor at the halfway point, so I'm going to put it to good use and monitor myself during my workouts. I'm also going to change my workouts from 3 to 4 times a week to 5 to 6 times.

• What she says about Maria: My little sister is amazing. She's putting herself first for the very first time ever. I am going to have Maria e-mail me her food diary every day — this is one area we are both struggling with — so we have decided to e-mail each other every day to hold us accountable. I may also go to her weekly happy hours — my presence may help.

Michelle and Charles West

• Relationship: spouses

• Support plan: Laugh through the pain, pat each other on the back for achieving individual goals, plan something special to celebrate success.

CHARLES

• Age: 49

• Job: corporate security coordinator

• Height: 5 feet 9 inches

• Weight then: 194; now: 184

• BP then: 154/105; now: 150/100

• Body fat then: 21.7 percent — moderate; now: 18 percent — good

• Aerobic fitness then: fair; now: fair

• Flexibility then: poor; now: average

• Wellness age then: 56; now: 51

• Goals: Become more fit, build muscle, increase energy.

• Thoughts: I'm surprised by how much better I feel and how the weight just started really dropping after my body adjusted to the workouts. My body is getting more defined, to the point that I make a cheap shirt look good. I didn't know I could feel so good running, and now I plan to enter some distance races. I also plan to push my body a little harder to the limit to see how much I can really handle. I really didn't believe that my body could make such a positive change in such a short period of time.

• What he says about Michelle: Unfortunately, she has suffered an injury which required surgery, and now she is faced with the biggest challenge. But she will step up and succeed because it is in her to overachieve, which is a good thing at this point for her.

I'm going to see that she does something every day to help her recover from her surgery. Now is the time to push our bodies, but not go too far.

MICHELLE

• Age: 43

• Job: quality review analyst

• Height: 5 feet 3 1/2 inches

• Weight then: 168; now: 160

• BP then: 120/86; now: 118/86

• Body fat then: 25.5 percent — moderate; now: 23.9 — good

• Aerobic fitness then: fair; now: not determined because of injury

• Flexibility then: good; now: not determined because of injury

• Wellness age then: 43; now: not determined because of injury

• Goals: Get fit and build muscle; find a competition for post-Challenge motivation.

• Thoughts: I am on the mend. Hey, at least on the crutches I got an upper-body workout. I still have time left to catch up and finish this challenge strong.

My doctor says my cholesterol levels have improved, and we're going to try to maintain that with diet and exercise instead of taking medication. I'm considering training for a triathlon. I volunteered at Tri for the Cure, and I feel it would definitely motivate me.

• What she says about Charles: He's more flexible and receptive to new ideas than I thought. He loves core strength training, something new that he has been exposed to by the Challenge. I already knew that he was very focused and determined, and I knew that he would give 100 percent. As far as I'm concerned, he's won already.

Joyce Deese and Heather Deese

• Relationship: mother and daughter

• Support plan: Work out together three to five times weekly. Make exercise enjoyable by bicycling or in-line skating.

JOYCE

• Age: 53

• Job: administrative assistant

• Height: 5 feet 7 inches

• Weight then: 160; now: 146

• BP then: 104/74; now: 95/74

• Body fat then: 36.5 percent — obese; now: 31.7 — overweight

• Aerobic fitness then: fair; now: excellent

• Flexibility then: average; now: good

• Wellness age then: 58; now: 52

• Goals: Embrace a healthier lifestyle through a determined, consistent focus on exercise and nutrition.

• Thoughts: I was especially pleased to see my body-fat ratio decrease and was surprised that it fell as much as it did. This just convinces me all the more to keep on and not turn back to my old sluggish ways. I have seen firsthand that fitness and lasting weight loss can only be achieved through a combo of good nutrition and exercise, not a combo from McDonald's! There are no shortcuts or magic bullets — just plain old hard work.

• What she says about Heather: I'm so pleased with Heather's loss of body fat and inches and seeing her enthusiasm to work on changing her body. We will continue to encourage each other, work out and laugh together.

HEATHER

• Age: 24

• Job: payroll specialist

• Height: 5 feet

• Weight then: 151; now: 148

• BP then: 110/80; now: 100/72

• Body fat then: 31 percent — overweight; now: 25.9 — moderate

• Aerobic fitness then: poor; now: poor

• Flexibility then: average; now: nearly good

• Wellness age then: 29; now: 26

• Goals: Become more confident in my appearance. Be healthier and fit to get the most out of life.

• Thoughts: I'm now out of the overweight category, and that feels great! I was surprised that my cardio test was not better. I will certainly step up that cardio for the next three months.

I've become more active in my day-to-day life, and I am not as lazy as I used to be. I do have the power to change my body. Once I get my head in the right place, I can do anything.

• What she says about Joyce: My mom is so strong! She has gotten so much better at lifting weights, and she is extremely motivated. She is eating great food, and you can tell she has lost a ton of weight. She looks so different.

We do most of our workouts together, and I think it's been good bonding time for us. We are each other's cheerleaders. It's great!

Karen Thorne and Lydia Marshall-Mack

• Relationship: Best friends

• Support plan: Lydia encourages Karen to exercise more; Karen encourages Lydia to eat better.

KAREN

• Age: 41

• Job: Radiologist assistant

• Height: Nearly 5 feet 8 inches

• Weight then: 173; now: 160

• BP then: 120/76; now: 116/74

• Body fat then: 32.4 percent — overweight; now: 25.1 percent — good

• Aerobic fitness then: Poor; now: fair

• Flexibility then: Average; now: good

• Wellness age then: 45; now: 40

• Goals: Reduce body fat and gain tone and definition so I can be more confident about my appearance.

• Thoughts: The days that I want to reward myself come often enough that it is still a small distraction. I won't fall for it — I know it's a trap. I'm the most surprised about my 13-pound weight loss. I'm happy with my original goals to continue to tone, tone, tone. I've learned that self-determination, a change in eating habits and exercise will give you the big payoff.

• What she says about Lydia: She knows exactly what to say if a doubt or discouraging moment arises. I continue to be inspired by her. She is the perfect person to keep me focused on my goals. Lydia and I will always work out together. What we have learned is a lifestyle change. Both of us are over 40, so either we exercise — or else!

LYDIA

• Age: 43

• Job: Hotel engineer

• Height: 5 feet 4 inches

• Weight then: 169; now: 171

• BP then: 120/80; now: 110/78

• Body fat then: 32.6 percent — overweight; now: 29.4 percent — moderate

• Aerobic fitness then: Fair; now: fair

• Flexibility then: Poor; now: good

• Wellness age then: 48; now: 43

• Goals: Reduce body fat and tighten up everything else.

• Thoughts: I am truly amazed about my results. I had become discouraged about my fitness program because Karen and I ran into a few snags getting to bootcamp. I just knew I hadn't done the very best that I could have.

What surprised me the most is all the fat I lost. I've learned I can lose weight and inches by applying myself to better eating habits as well as exercising. I didn't realize just how lazy I was. I don't like to work out, run or anything that makes me tired.

• What she says about Karen: She has been right there for me. When I am discouraged, she has a way of lifting my spirits. We have become even closer during our fitness training. I am going to stop the laziness and get out there and exercise. I am going to help Karen tone her muscles (an area she struggles in). We will be workout partners even in our wheelchairs — Amen!

Mouy Sanchez and Justina Chao

• Relationship: Mother and daughter

• Support plan: Push one another, monitor eating habits.

MOUY

• Age: 36

• Job: Quality inspector

• Height: 5 feet 1 1/2 inches

• Weight then: 152; now: 145

• BP then: 136/80; now: 112/80

• Body fat then: 27.9 percent — moderate; now: 23.1 — good

• Aerobic fitness then: Very poor; now: poor

• Flexibility then: Good; now: excellent

• Wellness age then: 39; now: 33

• Goals: Get healthy and fit.

• Thoughts: I feel great about myself. I have not felt like this for a long time. The most surprising thing is that my clothes fit very well. I've learned to eat right by cutting out a lot of fats and junk food. I know that I can do it with my daughter's help.

• What she says about Justina: We have learned so much about each other, and this program has brought us closer than we ever have been. I'm going to encourage her to work out, and do workouts with her like I always do. I know we have come a long way, and we will not give up our goals.

JUSTINA

• Age: 16

• Job: High school student

• Height: 5 feet 1 1/2 inches

• Weight then: 130; now: 126

• BP then: 110/80; now: 106/62

• Body fat then: 14.9 percent — excellent; now: 13.3 percent — excellent

• Aerobic fitness then: Good; now: excellent

• Flexibility then: Fair; now: good

• Wellness age: Unobtainable because of chronological age.

• Goals: Do my best at the Challenge; eat healthier.

• Thoughts: I'm proud of myself also for making it this far. What surprised me the most was getting to lose some inches off my butt and losing body fat. I've been able to change my eating habits, and I've exercised more than I ever have in a summer.

• What she says about her mom: She can do anything if I encourage her every time we exercise. It's been amazing watching her change from the first time we started exercising. I'm going to be there for my mom and just encourage her more each time we work out.

Fitness resources

• For more information about Bootcamp360, visit www.bootcamp360.com. In Denver, call 303-981-6071 or e-mail bootcampdenver@yahoo.com; in Boulder, call Mountain's Edge Fitness at 303-494-5000.

• For more information about personal trainer Denise Tryner, go to www.denisetryner.com or call 720-319-3055.

• For more info about Malena Marquez, go to www.bodymecca.com or call 303-778-6322.

Lisa Ryckman is an ACE-certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor and weight-management consultant. You can reach her at Ryckmanl@RockyMountainNews.com or (303) 954-2736.

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