Search Weight Loss Topics:

Page 40«..1020..39404142..5060..»

Home » Page 40

Shelby Stevens from South Paris is a contender for the title of Ms. Health and Fitness in the "Muscle and Fitness Hers" magazine.

PARIS, Maine A typical day for Shelby Stevens begins at the gym, where her routine is a testament to her perseverance.

"The cool thing about weightlifting is you don't have to have coordination or balance if you choose the right exercises," Stevens said, chalking her hands as she prepared for her workout.

Shelby's story is one of extraordinary courage.

Diagnosed with a brain tumor at 4 years old, she faced a daunting path ahead.

The tumor left her with poor balance and coordination, but it never dampened her spirit.

Over the years, Shelby transitioned from a wheelchair to walking on her own, though the journey was fraught with physical challenges.

"I continue to struggle with anything athletic," she said. "It was very frustrating, because I am a hard worker. But if you don't have basic abilities, there are limits to what you can do."

At 16 years old, Shelby discovered weightlifting, a sport that allowed her to overcome some of these limitations and find a sense of accomplishment and pride.

"They think I'm good at something because I am good. It was really encouraging," Stevens said.

Now, Shelby is a contender for the title of Ms. Health and Fitness in the"Muscle and Fitness Hers" magazine. Her progress in the competition is a testament to her hard work and determination.

"Right now, I've made the top 15, and then it's going to top 10 in the next week," Stevens said.

To advance further in the competition, Shelby needs the public's votes.

Each vote brings her closer to sharing her inspiring story with a broader audience. Regardless of the outcome, Shelby remains steadfast in her mission to inspire others.

"The worst thing is not failing; it's not trying and never knowing if you could have succeeded," she said.

If you would like to support Shelby and help her share her message of hope and strength, you can vote for her here.

See the rest here:
A Maine woman | From adversity to aspiration - NewsCenterMaine.com WCSH-WLBZ

Read More..

What you need to know

Fitness watches get more post-launch updates than they used to. In theory, this is a good thing. In practice, brands like Garmin and Fitbit are struggling to keep up with their ambitious goals.

Earlier this week, a reader alerted me to an "aggravating" issue with the Venu Sq 2, one of our favorite Garmin watches. For the past month, no one with the Sq 2 or Music edition could connect to Connect IQ. That meant no Spotify, Komoot, new watch faces, or any other third-party apps. Weeks after the issue arose, Garmin Support opened a ticket, then went radio silent, frustrating forum users who began threatening to return their Venus.

Then, shortly after sites like Notebook Check began reporting on the issue, Garmin engineers "fixed an error in the backend" that had prevented Venu Sq 2 watches and the Garmin servers from communicating. Users agreed that the issue had been fixed without any update on their end; some asked what the holdup had been before the thread was closed.

The Venu Sq 2 is a kind of gateway product for Garmin. Its relatively affordable price and lightweight squircle design make it an easier transition for Apple Watch users or fans of other cheap fitness watches, who might find other Garmins too rugged, expensive, or niche. So for new Venu Sq 2 owners especially those that paid $50 extra for music storage to lack access to apps for over a month is a big deal.

Garmin has also faced complaints in the past couple of months about a Garmin Forerunner update with an accidental side effect: it allegedly caused watches' optical HR sensors to underestimate heart rate data significantly.

In my case, I'll notice during hard track runs with my Forerunner 965 that my heart rate is about 3040 bpm too low for a lap or so before it autocorrects. Otherwise, it performed very well in a Garmin vs. Coros vs. Polar test for heart rate, but unfortunately, other users still report unresolved issues with high or low HR more regularly, even months later.

While these longstanding issues don't look great for Garmin, I'll note that buggy software updates with inadvertent consequences seem to be a worrying trend with fitness watches and trackers recently.

Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android

I immediately remembered the Fitbit Charge 5 fiasco earlier this year: Fitbit updated the Charge 5 with new clock faces and languages, with the unintended side effect of overworking the Charge 5 battery to the point that users reported the 7-day fitness tracker could only last half a day at most. A month later, tech sites caught wind of the issue; Fitbit said the update wasn't to blame without explaining why Charge 5 trackers broke after factory resets or could no longer track sleep.

I'm not certain if this problem was ever resolved. At the time, Google gave users 50% discounts for a Charge 6 replacement, but many long-time Fitbit fans swore off the brand for good.

While I positively reviewed the Polar Vantage V3, it too had a rough start. My review unit would crash during any long hiking or running activity, causing a boot loop that would only end when the battery ran out or I found a way to factory reset it. Other reviewers and day-one buyers reported similar issues.

The latest firmware updates did nothing to resolve the problem, so Polar sent me a new watch. This unit never crashed once in the month or so I used it. The fact remains, however, that Polar couldn't find a way to resolve this major software issue remotely. Then it delayed its Polar Grit X2 Pro launch to take more time resolving firmware issues.

No matter which fitness brand you prefer, you're more likely to run into serious software issues these days. I suspect there's one clear culprit: ambition.

We're seeing a trend today where fitness watches are trying to become smartwatches to compete with mainline smartwatches. Because of that, brands like Garmin and Fitbit are dedicating more effort to post-launch updates to keep their watches relevant for years just as a Galaxy or Apple Watch gets three or four years of feature updates and support.

Mainline smartwatches also have more powerful CPUs, more resources, and fewer models. If Samsung wants to test a new Wear OS 5 feature, it must check the Galaxy Watch 4, 5, 5 Pro, and 6. That's not unreasonable for such a massive company.

Garmin sells dozens of watches at any given moment. Even if they share the same general software and UI, a $1,000 Fenix has more powerful capabilities than a $250 Venu Sq 2. So, each watch gets its own updates and (presumably) requires its own QA testing with every new feature update.

Most other fitness brands take a similar multi-device approach. Amazfit sells about 20 smartwatches, not counting its older models, which still receive support. Google and Fitbit have about 10 products combined. COROS only has four watches but still updates watches released years ago with brand-new software like turn-by-turn navigation.

With so many watches on the market at once, made by brands with smaller teams, bugs are bound to slip through the cracks.

Garmin's forums are full of bug reports; some are specific to one broken watch, and others are down to user error. So when a real, widespread bug shows up, like the Venu Sq 2's app block or the Forerunners' HR inaccuracies, the support team will respond with canned advice until enough people yell about it for them to escalate the issue. And even then, it may take time to find a proper solution.

Again, this isn't about Garmin specifically. Other brands might have taken longer to acknowledge the problem, or fail to pin down the problem's cause. It's about the fact that these brands used to launch a product and then move on to the next one, rarely adding more than a few new features after launch. That made it easier to avoid bugs.

Now that users expect proper post-launch software updates for fitness watches, these brands have to squeeze features onto chips that were optimized at launch for as much battery life as possible. In some cases, that's likely to cause problems, and athletes with a previously functional watch have to spend weeks waiting for a solution.And with so many watches on the market, you never know if yours will slip through the cracks.

More here:
Month-long Garmin Venu bug represents a worrying trend across fitness watches - Android Central

Read More..

Remi Bader is showing off her hard work after putting her mental health first.

The 29-year-old content creator took to Instagram to share a video of her progress after a few months at the gym, this after she revealed earlier this year she used Ozempic but had since stopped.

In the first clip, she appears to struggle doing a core exercise, before shaking her head and then giving up. However, the second clip shows her completing the task at hand.

"The difference of a few months focusing on my mental, emotional and physical strength," Bader wrote over the reel.

"This is not about weight, or looks or appearance, it's about putting myself first and finding myself again. Always put yourself first," she continued.

"People come and go so remember you only have YOU at the end of the day thank you to those always supporting me through my darkest and brightest moments," she added in the caption.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

The video comes after the body positivity model revealed she quit using the weight-loss drug Ozempic, which she said she was prescribed to for being pre-diabetic and insulin resistant.

During a January 2023 episode of the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, Bader revealed she stopped using the drug due to negative side effects on her overall health.

"It was brand new, just got FDA approved, no one knew about it and I was so scared," Bader recalled. "They said I need this. And I had a lot of mixed feelings."

She then explained how she chose to pause the drug after a few months and then fell into a cycle of "bad binging" and put on "double the weight" she had initially lost from using it.

"I saw a doctor, and they were like, 'It's 100 percent because you went on Ozempic,'" she said.

"It was making me think I wasn't hungry for so long. I lost some weight. I didn't want to be obsessed with being on it long term. I was like, 'I bet the second I got off I'm going to get starving again.' I did, and my binging got so much worse."

Bader has been open about her struggles with binge eating. In September 2023, the influencer posted a TikTok video explaining that she had an emotional day so she "answered that with eating, eating, eating, eating."

She also spoke about the subject of binge eating on the podcast High Low with Emily Ratajkowski, comparing binge eating to an addiction.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, get help. Contact the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) at 1-800-931-2237 or go to NationalEatingDisorders.org.

Waiting for your permission to load TikTok Post.

Read the original here:
TikToker Remi Bader Shows Off Fitness Progress After Quitting Ozempic - TooFab

Read More..

Peloton built its reputation in the exercise and fitness world by offering convenience and dynamic instructors. The brand offers the flexibility of working out in various settings, whether its on a stationary bike at home or accessing classes through the app while traveling. Peloton is recognized for its charismatic and influential instructors such as Kendall Toole.

Toole has been a multi-sport athlete, amateur boxer and actress. After graduating from USCs School of Cinematic Arts, she started her career in content production at a leading social media platform. Soon, she realized her passion for changing culture and empowering communities, especially women, to embrace their potential.

This path led her to her current role at Peloton, where she has gained widespread popularity and a significant presence on social media.

In this episode ofYoung Influentials, ADWEEK digital editor and hostColin Danielssits down with Toole as she shares her personal fitness journey and discusses her passionate mission to empower and inspire others beyond the confines of her workout classes.

Stream the new episode below, or listen and subscribe onApple Podcasts,Spotify,PandoraoriHeartRadio.

Read the rest here:
Peloton's Kendall Toole on Inspiring People Beyond the Bike - Adweek

Read More..

The concept would seem to follow his 1990s Sweatin to the Oldies video workout series which showed Simmons lead a workout to music from decades past. According to Simmons, the orchestra seating would be removed, and the audience would be encouraged to dance and work along with Simmons or whoever is leading the show.

Thats quite a gimmick. Someone page Ken Davenport.

Obviously, there isnt much to this other than a conversation between friends. But could something like this work on Broadway? I honestly dont know, which is what makes it interesting. Since Broadway could use a boost right now, especially with show after show closing, a spectacle like this could be interesting enough to generate a consistent audience.

Its hard to summerize how huge Simmons was in the home fitness industry, especially in the 80s and 90s. Simmons revolutionized fitness with his infectious energy and relatable approach. Sweatin to the Oldies made exercise fun and accessible, appealing to a wide audience, particularly those who felt alienated by conventional fitness programs.

So could this work on Broadway? Who knows, but Im all for unique and interesting ideas to bring audiences to 42nd Street in droves. Maybe a show combined with an aerobic workout would be just the gimmick.

The rest is here:
Is Fitness Icon Richard Simmons coming to Broadway? OnStage Blog - OnStage Blog

Read More..

Physical: 100 has developed something of a cult following, and its easy to see why. Netflixs South Korean fitness bonanza marries bizarre concepts (pulling a boat up a slope, anyone?) with genuinely grueling physical tests to deliver compelling entertainment.

For those who havent seen it, the show starts with 100 contestants of all different shapes, sizes and genders before periodically whittling this number down to one ultimate physique through a series of tasks, or "quests".

Its the uniqueness of these quests that, in my eyes, makes Physical: 100 one of the best Netflix shows. Season one included a series of tests inspired by Greek myth, including the Sisyphean task of repeatedly rolling a boulder up a hill until you drop, and the first task was deceptively simple: seeing how long each contestant can hang on a bar over a tank of water until they drop. However, the recently released second season kicks off with a more straightforward mission: running.

Contestants were met with a room containing 100 curved treadmills. These machines sap more of your energy than a standard treadmill because the user is responsible for powering the belt check out our curved treadmills vs motorized treadmills comparison for all the differences. The athletes challenge was to run as far as they could in three timed intervals.

And, as a fitness fan watching 100 people suffer from the comfort of my couch, I immediately knew I wanted to give the test a go for myself.

(Image: Future / Harry Bullmore)

Contestants had to run as far as they could in 10 minutes, then seven minutes, and finally five minutes, with short rests in between. After the first round, the bottom 50 athletes were eliminated, after the second 40 more were given their marching orders, and the final interval decided the order of top 10. This ranking gave top-performers preferential treatment in future quests.

I dont have a curve runner. Neither does the gym I train at. But I do have a park nearby, so I set up a custom outdoor run on my Apple Watch Ultra 2, laced up my best running shoes and set off.

I like doing difficult things. I lift weights most days, run twice a week and never say no to sports in any form. But there was a point during the second interval of this Physical: 100 test where I questioned why I was so keen to try it.

Youre running for 22 minutes in total so I figured, with a couple of three-minute breaks along the way, I should make it to five kilometers fairly easily.

Get the hottest deals available in your inbox plus news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more from the TechRadar team.

I was wrong. The first 10 minutes went surprisingly well, and I benefited from a slight downhill to ease me into my quest, as Physical: 100 refers to it. By the end of the first set I was breathing hard but feeling good, having covered 2.3km. This would have been enough to make the top 50 in Physical: 100. The top performer on the show recorded a distance of 2,416m, and the elimination cut-off was 1,841m.

Having used curve runners in the past, I should say that I find them significantly slower and more taxing than simply running outside but it was still fun to have scores to compete against.

Following my first interval I stopped to take the prescribed three-minute breather. But after what felt like 20 seconds, my vibrating watch told me it was time to get moving again. I did as I was told, only to find that someone had surreptitiously swapped my legs for lead columns while I had been recovering.

Legendary endurance coach Chris Hinshaw once described the 5,000m as a true test of overall athletic fitness, requiring both physical and mental capacity. I was definitely fighting a battle on both fronts by this point, with my body in constant discomfort and my mind trying to distract me from this pain by counting steps.

I finished the second interval and leant aggressively against a nearby railing, having accumulated 3,800 meters according to my Apple Watch. This would have been on the edge of being disqualified, with the tenth-placed Physical:100 contestant recording 3,803m. The winner was flying ahead on 4,160m, while the highest-placed female contestant (handball player Park Ha-Yan) finished 36th with 3,375m.

Once more, the three minutes of rest went by in the blink of an eye, but this time I knew what to expect and adjusted accordingly. As a result, I was able to pick up my speed from the previous round, averaging 404/km (with a sprint finish) rather than 441/km. As the final second ticked over, I reached 5.02km and promptly collapsed onto a park bench.

Never again, I muttered to myself, knowing full well Id be returning to this test at a later date to try and better my score, as well as those of the Physical: 100 contestants.

My distance would have seen me finish in 10th place, with the winner (former firefighter Hong Beom-seok) reaching a lofty 5,472m. Roll on season three.

See the rest here:
I tried Netflix's Physical: 100 endurance test and it was one of the most difficult workouts I've ever done - TechRadar

Read More..

The men at the starting line at Hyrox in Berlin practically hummed with nervous enthusiasm. A few dozen racers, part of an early morning heat, stood watching the steady tick of a five-minute countdown, displayed on a huge television overhead.

Dramatic string music played on tinny loudspeakers. A booming voice intoned a rallying cry: This is the moment youve been training for!

Lights twinkled. Spectators cheered.

For the founders of the fitness race Hyrox, 55-year-old Christian Toetzke and 39-year-old Moritz Furste, this kind of kitschy spectacle was always part of the plan. The original brief, when they introduced the race in Hamburg, Germany, in 2017, was to create an event that is a 200,000 production that looks like a 2 million production, Furste said.

Competitors at the sled pull station during a Hyrox event. Photograph: Maria Sturm/The New York Times

Hyroxs modern entertainment and light effects create a very special feeling, Toetzke said, one that he hopes will create a new proposition for mass participation events.

A Hyrox race combines running with several functional fitness movements, such as the farmers carry, the weighted lunge and the burpee broad jump. It takes about 90 minutes to complete, on average, although elite racers can finish in under an hour. The race has exploded in popularity since the end of the pandemic more than 175,000 people are expected to participate in the more than 60 races that Hyrox has organised for 2024 including an electrifying two-day extravaganza at the RDS in Dublin next November 16th and 17th.

Hyrox is not the first fitness race to emerge from nowhere and gain a cult following. What distinguishes it from fads like Tough Mudder and Spartan, according to Hyrox fans, is its athletic simplicity. Tough Mudder and Spartan are an experience that has a sport aspect to it, said 34-year-old Hunter McIntyre, a full-time fitness racer who holds the world record in Hyrox. Hyrox is a sport that is an experience.

[How to play catch-up on your mini marathon training]

When McIntyre would tell people that he was doing a Tough Mudder, it was almost embarrassing, he said. Now, when he tells people that he does Hyrox, theres a level of respect to it, he said. Usually when you ask someone if they did a Tough Mudder, its like they went with their office, and they got pictures and wore funny outfits, McIntyre said, whereas Hyrox, he added, is truly a sport.

As a sport, Hyrox draws heavily from CrossFit, including the equipment it uses. Ski Erg and rowing machines, kettlebells, ropes and weighted sleds are common fixtures of CrossFit gyms. Some Hyrox movements, such as the wall ball shot, were created by CrossFit, although CrossFit workouts use these movements only occasionally, following founder Greg Glassmans ethos of constantly varied high-intensity functional fitness.

Toetzke said he and Furste workshopped the Hyrox format at CrossFit gyms before the race was introduced. He added that although he tried CrossFit himself, he thought it was a bit too much, a bit too hard, too injury-heavy.

CrossFit involves many complex Olympic lifts and gymnastics skills, which can be difficult to master and, to some, dangerous to learn. Hyrox has avoided those kinds of techniques, sticking instead to simple movements that, Toetzke said, are very hard to do wrong in a way that can hurt your body.

Despite or perhaps because of the similarities between the sports, Hyrox has deliberately positioned itself as the safer, more accessible alternative. Look, candidly I think theyre smart trying to leverage that, Don Faul, CrossFits CEO, said in response to these claims. When youre trying to enter a new space, you define yourself against the incumbent, the company that has defined the category. Weve seen a variety of folks in the fitness space trying to take the same angle.

The start of a Hyrox event: each race takes about 90 minutes to complete. Photograph: Maria Sturm/The New York Times

Faul (47) a former platoon commander in the US Marines, said the apparent difference in accessibility between CrossFit and Hyrox is really just a difference in perception. The vast majority of people in our gyms are everyday folks, not elite athletes, he said, adding that people stepping into a CrossFit gym for the first time might be incredibly surprised by how welcoming and accessible it is.

Although many local CrossFit gyms host their own events, the only in-person competition the company organises is its annual CrossFit Games, which is for a handful of elite athletes and is meant to crown the fittest on earth. Thats another reason CrossFitters often join Hyrox. It offers a chance to test their fitness live.

Although its difficult to say precisely how much overlap there is between CrossFit and Hyrox, Chris Hinshaw, a 60-year-old coach who trains athletes in both sports, said that most of the people who are getting into Hyrox got their start in CrossFit. Many of the racers on the Hyrox podiums are also elite CrossFit stars, including Mal OBrien and Mirjam von Rohr, two of the top CrossFitters in the world.

[Why dont more men do yoga?]

Hyrox claims to have more than 2,500 affiliate gyms around the world (the official website lists at least one location in most Irish counties) at which athletes can train for the public races. Toetzke and Furste initially said about 10 per cent of these affiliates were also CrossFit gyms. In Berlin, 16 of 18 listed on the Hyrox website also offered CrossFit classes. Asked for clarification, Hyrox revised their estimate to 22 per cent. Faul said that, although CrossFit does not track the number, he would be surprised if it was that low.

Furste seemed vexed to have to address the subject of CrossFits influence on Hyrox. I absolutely dont like this conversation, he said. We dont want to take anything away from them. We love the training methodology. But in the end, apart from the functional workouts, it has nothing to do with us.

Each sport seems to be benefiting from the other. Hinshaw said that Hyrox and CrossFit are really a perfect pair, pointing out that offering both sports is a good way for a gym owner to increase member retention. A lot of people think theyre competitive with one another, and that is not at all true, he said. By the nature of who these athletes are, theyre always chasing the shiny new object.

Competitors during a Hyrox event in Berlin. Hyrox races combine running with several functional fitness movements, such as the farmers carry, the weighted lunge, and the burpee broad jump. Photograph: Maria Sturm/The New York Times

The question now is whether Hyrox can endure or even continue to grow as the blush of novelty wears off. It could also, like CrossFit, deepen in intensity while narrowing in appeal it might inspire passion but the passion of the devoted few.

Toetzke doesnt think so. I dont see the risk of becoming a sport only for committed people, he said. We are looking to the success and longevity and sustainability of the marathon.

Becoming as popular as marathon running, of course, is a rather lofty ambition for an organisation with events that are a fraction of a marathons size. (Hyrox New York, taking place June 1st, will have less than 10 per cent of the New York Marathons participants.) But that, long term, is the goal. We really believe that this is the potential, Toetzke said. This article originally appeared in the New York Times

View original post here:
Hyrox: The new fitness craze that is 'an experience' - The Irish Times

Read More..

If youre looking for a

Now 23% Off

This popular pick is a great option if youre looking for a simple, no-frills rower that gets the job done. Boasting a comfortable, ergonomic design with a cushioned seat, pivoting foot pedals, and foam handlebars, this rowing machine from Sunny Health & Fitness is super compact and lightweight, making it especially great for using and storing in small living spaces.

But, its small size doesnt preclude it from packing a powerful punch. This little machine makes for a great full-body workout, thanks to the smooth hydraulic resistance system that targets legs, glutes, back, arms, shoulders, and core. Customizing your workout is easy, too, thanks to the 12 adjustable resistance levels you can choose from. Plus, the rower comes with a handy digital monitor, which tracks important workout statsincluding the time, calories burned, and more.

And did we mention the pick has racked up nearly 12,000 five-star ratings on Amazon? This could be the best $100 I have ever spent, one shopper raved in their review. My wife and I have been using it for the last four days and could not be happier. The assembly took about five minutes. Light and compact but delivers big-time performance. A great leg and ab workout...I would highly recommend this item.

Customers especially love that the rower is great for tiny spaces. This is perfect for a small apartment setting. It may not have all the bells and whistles of a pricier version, but its perfect if you just want to start to get into rowing or need an activity thats low-impact and will help tone your muscles, wrote one reviewer. The machine is fairly quiet and the set-up was easy. Also this machine can easily be stored away (even in a small apartment). Great product!

The top-rated rowing machine is normally $130, but its currently discounted 23%meaning you can snag the pick for just $100 right now. Grab yours while the sale lasts!

And, if youre looking for an upgrade, the rower also comes in a Smart version with added features like Bluetooth connectivity, a phone holder, access to training videos, and moreall for just $60 more.

Hannah Jeon is an Associate Commerce Editor at Prevention, where she covers expert-driven commerce content for all things health, beauty, and wellness. Previously the Editorial Assistant at Good Housekeeping, she earned her bachelors degree in creative writing and psychology from Johns Hopkins University. When shes not on the hunt for all the best products online, you can often find her trying out new food spots in New York City or clicking away behind a camera.

Read the original post:
The Sunny Health & Fitness Rowing Machine On Sale on Amazon - Prevention Magazine

Read More..

The top instructor at a Northwest Portland fitness studio has been suspended amid allegations that he pocketed money earmarked for local charities.

For years, Ryan Tong, who goes by Coach RyRy at Orangetheory Fitness Slabtown, has been soliciting donations to local nonprofits through Venmo during special 90-minute charity classes on Sundays. The donations, Tong said, would be matched by local companies like Nike and Adidas.

But several of the nonprofits, which were selected by studio members, tell WW they havent received the cash. Executives at Rose Haven and PERIOD confirmed they hadnt gotten money from Tong for charity events held at Orangetheory in recent years.

Its not clear how much money is unaccounted for. According to a January post on the studios Instagram account, Tong has raised over $500,000 for charities since he opened the studio in May 2018.

Not all of that money went through Tong. The studio also gave participants in the charity events the option to donate directly to the charity through a QR code linking to the charitys website.

Still, many participants sent money via Venmo directly to Tong, 41, with the expectation it would later be donated to the nonprofit with a corporate match. Tongs Venmo account, which is public, lists over 100 transactions in the past year with captions indicating they were meant as donations.

It was so brazen, it was hard to register anything untoward was going on, says studio member Daniel Borgen. Looking back, everybody was like: What were we thinking?

Earlier this year, Borgen began asking questions. Hes on the board of Cascade AIDS Project, one of the nonprofits selected by studio members to receive their donations. When Borgen learned the nonprofit hadnt received any donations from Tong or Orangetheory, he began asking around. Eight other nonprofits were missing money too, he said.

Borgen confronted Tong, who said in an email that the donations should have come through Nike. So Borgen went to Nike, which said it only matched donations from employees. Nike confirmed this in an email to WW, and said it was conducting its own investigation into the matter.

On April 15, Borgen reported the missing money to the police. The case remains open, a Portland Police Bureau spokesperson says, although a detective has yet to be assigned to investigate.

Tong has not returned WWs calls. In a statement, a regional manager said that Tong had been suspended without pay and the franchise is cooperating fully with law enforcement. The last class taught by RyRy at the Slabtown Orangetheory was on April 14, according to the studios online calendar.

Once our investigation concludes, we will turn our focus to making the situation right for impacted members, said the regional manager, Jordan Thomas.

In the meantime, its not clear who has the money.

Katie OBrien, executive director at Rose Haven, a womens day shelter, said she was contacted by a donor who said shed given $1,000 to Tong in March of last year expecting it to be donated to the nonprofit. It feels to me like its been stolen, OBrien said. Its been 15 monthsthats not an appropriate way to get a match.

Dara Wilk, development director of PERIOD, which distributes free menstrual products, says the organization did not receive any money from Tong for charity events held in 2022 and 2023. Tong did send her $537 using Venmo for an event in 2021, which I had to ask for, she tells WW.

In 2005, Tong was convicted of first-degree theft in Clackamas County, sentenced to two years probation, and ordered to pay $2,500 in restitution to Safeway.

A spokesperson for the Clackamas County District Attorneys Office said the case was so old that records detailing the crime werent immediately available, but it appears likely that Tong was working for the grocer at the time. One of the conditions for Tongs probation was that he not seek any employment handling money.

More:
Orangetheory Fitness Coach Accused of Pocketing Money Raised for Portland Nonprofits - Willamette Week

Read More..

Saudi Arabia has sentenced29-year-old fitness instructor Manahel al-Otaibi to 11 years in jail because of her choice of clothing and womens rights advocacy, two rights groups said on Wednesday.

According to Amnesty International and the Alqst rights group, the notorious Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) sentenced Otaibi during a secret hearing on 9 January, but the decision only became known weeks later in an official reply by the Saudi government to a request for information by UN experts about the case.

The decision directly contradicts the authorities narrative of reform and womens empowerment, the rights groups saidin a statement.

Otaibi is facing charges relating to opinions she voiced online as a social media influencer and also for wearing indecent clothing, the groups said.

This included posts calling for an end to Saudi Arabias male guardianship system, and others where she appeared publicly without the traditional Saudi womens dress (abaya).

Otaibis sister, Fawzia, is facing similar charges, but she fled Saudi Arabia in 2022 fearing detention.

Otaibi was detained on 16 November 2022 and is currently held at Malaz Prison in the capital Riyadh. In April, she informed her family that she had been held in solitary confinement with a broken leg and was being held in inhumane conditions.

The rights advocate has been convicted of terrorist offences under articles 43 and 44 of the Saudi counter-terrorism law, which criminalises any person who, by any means, broadcasts or publishes news, statements, false or malicious rumours, or the like for committing a terrorist crime.

Bissan Fakih, Amnesty Internationals campaigner in Saudi Arabia, said Otaibi's conviction is an appalling and cruel injustice".

She added that Otaibi has faced a range of abuses since her arrest, including enforced disappearance for over five months and physical abuse by prison officials.

With this sentence the Saudi authorities have exposed the hollowness of their much-touted womens rights reforms in recent years and demonstrated their chilling commitment to silencing peaceful dissent, Fakih said.

Saudi human rights defenders and lawyers have accused Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of overseeing a crackdown on social media users following his ascent to power in 2017 and the introduction of notorious judicial bodies such as the SCC.

The counterterrorism law used to convict Otaibi was passed shortly after Bin Salman became crown prince. Human Rights Watch hascriticisedthe law for its broad definition of terrorism.

Similarly, two new bodies used to suppress activists - the Presidency of State Security and the Public Prosecution Office -were establishedby royal decrees in the same year.

Salma al-Shehab: Leeds University urged to act in case of Saudi Arabian student jailed for tweets

In August last year, the SCC sentenceda schoolgirl,Manal al-Gafiri, to 18 years in prison for posting tweets supportive of political prisoners in the kingdom.

Mohammed al-Ghamdi, a retired teacher, was sentenced to death in the same month for comments made on X and YouTube, while Leeds University doctoral candidateSalma al-Shehabwas sentenced in 2022 to 34 years in prison for social media posts demanding human rights.

Despite Bin Salman's pledge to improve the situation of women's rights in the country, rights groups have said thathis 2017 overhaul of the kingdom's security apparatus hassignificantly enabledthe repression of Saudi opposition voices, including those of women rights defenders and opposition activists.

Saudi authorities have in recent years removed some restrictions faced by women in the kingdom, but rights groups say the discriminatory features of the male guardianship system remain largely intact.

The 2022 Personal Status law, touted as a prelude to major reforms, has effectively codified many aspects of the system, Amnestysaid last year.

Commenting on Otaibi's jail sentence, Lina al-Hathloul, Alqsts head of monitoring and advocacy, said that the Saudi authorities have once again laid bare the arbitrary and contradictory nature of their so-called reforms, and their continuing determination to control Saudi Arabias women".

Original post:
Saudi fitness instructor jailed for 11 years over clothing and women's rights support - Middle East Eye

Read More..

Contact Us Today

Page 40«..1020..39404142..5060..»

Home » Page 40