Nine women complete 'Boot Camp'

Nine women greatly improved their fitness levels and made new friendships by participating in the Montana Athletic Club’s Summer Boot Camp training program.

 The nine-week program, conducted by personal trainer Jennifer McCully, consisted of performing two vigorous morning workouts per week together. 

 Workouts were mainly conducted outdoors and included running, high knee lifts, skipping and sprints,  circuits of callisthenic exercises such as walking lunges, jumping jacks, pushups, squats, sit-ups, planks, upper body exercises, and stretching.

At the beginning of the program, participants took a fitness test which included a mile walk/run, 2 minutes of push-ups, 2-mintues of sit-ups, and a wall sit and plank.  

Finishers were retested at the end of the program to measure their progress and all made substantial improvements. Finishers included Kelda Latham-Bennett, Ahyoung Huff, Doreen Gullingsrud, Kathleen Sheffield, Teresa Goyen, Kaylee Robertson, Lyn Hagerty, Diana Bredeson, and Penney Hook.

Highlights of fitness improvements included Latham-Bennett going from 2:13 minutes to an incredible 2 hours, 5 minutes on the wall sit, Hagerty going from none to 15 full pushups, Sheffield improving from 5 to 25 sit-ups, and Goyen cutting her mile time in half.

 The group voted on the most inspirational and most motivational participants with Kathleen Sheffield unanimously winning the most inspirational award for the encouragement and support she gave her classmates which included text messages and phone calls to ensure they attended class.  Kelda Latham-Bennett was unanimously voted the most motivational participant through her example of drive and focus.