By: Jennifer D. Braun
PAUL VERSARGE of Annandale has been a fan of Sylvester Stallone all his life. "I think I'd have to say `Rocky' and `Rambo' are my favorite movies. That's what it's all about, right?" Versarge said.
But at age 23, Versarge, a Web page designer, wasn't going into the ring with anybody. Although an athlete in high school, his sedentary job had led him to put on weight. He eventually hit 225 pounds.
And that's when his favorite movie star came to his rescue, in an odd way.
"There was some buzz on the Internet about (Stallone) being in `Rocky 6,' and I was reading about that when I saw the information about INSTONE and the challenge."
INSTONE is Stallone's nutritional supplement company. To promote the company, Stallone set up a "Lifechange Challenge," asking participants to take his supplements and follow his exercise advice for three to four months. The grand prize? $15,000 - and dinner with Sly.
Versarge took the challenge, starting last March, and got down to a ripped 163 pounds.
"I never used to be the guy who said, `Hey, let's go to the gym.' I was the guy who said `Hey, let's go order a pizza,'" said Versarge, now 24, who says he now plays football instead of watching TV after work.
Last weekend, Versarge got the big prize: The chance to meet his idol. "He was so down to earth," Versarge said.
"One piece of fitness advice he gave us was, he said you have to make exercise a hobby, not a chore, not something you've got to drag yourself off the couch to do. If it's a hobby, it'll be something you want to do and . . . part of your life."
 |