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Transformation Challenge Winners Redefine Strength, Inside and Out
We recently concluded our annual Transformation Challenge at PowerStrength – where adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s dedicated themselves to reshaping their bodies and fitness journeys by entering the 30-day challenge.
Participants worked tirelessly to lose body fat, improve their stamina, and enhance their overall health. The results were eye-opening: The collective group lost more than 288 pounds of body fat, a true testament to everyone’s hard work and determination!
After 30-days of intense training, 6 total winners were crowned and big prizes earned!
In the member division, the men and women winners were:
Alpine – David Grundy & Emily Bouma
Jenison – Ryan Daus & Kim Hassevoort
Kentwood – Ben Bouwkamp & Pam Rodgers
Plainfield – Ryan LaRose & Amy Ashbaugh
Two newcomers to PowerStrength were the winners in the non-member division – each taking home the $1,000 grand prize!
Here’s a look at the experiences of the winners, Katie Halma and Jeremy Hawke.
KATIE HALMA: TAKING CHARGE AT 40
For Katie Halma, winning the Transformation Challenge came as a surprise.
“I came for the weigh-in, and Steve (General Manager at the Kentwood facility) weighed me and said he thought I could be the winner,” she recalled. “And then he looked at some other people’s scores… and then he said, ‘Yeah, you’re the winner.’”
Her reaction was pure excitement: “I think I yelled. I was like, YAY!”
Katie initially joined the challenge for the $1,000 prize but also saw it as an opportunity to kickstart her fitness goals.
“I was looking for something to get me motivated,” she said. “I wanted to lose some weight, gain some muscle, and this was it.”
As someone who had never been a gym-goer, joining PowerStrength felt intimidating.
“Initially, I was pretty nervous. Felt like I had no idea what I was doing,” Katie explained. “But the coaches were super great. Walked me through everything… I just felt motivated and empowered to keep going. And there was some things I couldn’t do or I couldn’t do well, but I didn’t feel any judgment, I just felt lots of encouragement.”
Despite her initial hesitation, Katie found herself drawn to the energy and encouragement within PowerStrength.
“There’s like an energy here. I never really look forward to coming, to be honest, but once I’m here, I love it, and when I drive home, I just feel really good.”
That energy and support have inspired her to continue training at PowerStrength, and Katie now plans to reinvest her prize money into future training sessions. She has some advice for anyone considering a similar journey.
“Something that really helped me with losing the weight, I feel like, was increasing my protein, which was something that Steve had told me day one… I wasn’t hungry, I was fulfilled, I had energy. So I would tell someone to eat a lot of protein, show up, and the rest will fall in place.”
JEREMY HAWKE: A NEW START IN FITNESS AND COMMUNITY
Jeremy Hawke, also embraced the 30-day challenge as a fresh start in fitness.
“I was pretty excited. I worked pretty hard, and the folks here, Kyle (Dent) and Katelyn (Meeker), everybody else, really helped out a lot,” he said, reflecting on his victory.
He and his wife had already been interested in PowerStrength before hearing about the challenge, but the contest gave him the extra push to commit.
Previously, Jeremy had been active in triathlons and hot yoga but had avoided strength training. PowerStrength’s approach, however, felt right from the start.
“I’ve never worked with trainers directly, one-on-one… and when we came in and talked to folks, this gym felt right,” he shared. “The vibe of the facility itself, and all of the different coaches that have helped just have worked really well for me.”
Despite initial challenges due to physical conditions like a torn rotator cuff, he quickly adapted with the help of his trainers.
“The first day, I barely made it through. I think Kyle thought I wasn’t going to make it through,” he laughs, adding, “it progressively got easier, but I really appreciated all of the motivation and inspiration from the trainers. Everybody here has been phenomenal in terms of encouraging you and keeping you focused and helping you work through exercises that maybe you’re not familiar with. I’ve done a lot of stuff here that I had never done before and so I think that keeps things interesting and exciting and learning different stuff, which has been a great experience for me.”
In addition to the personal training sessions, nutrition was a key component in Jeremy’s success. With guidance from PowerStrength’s nutrition guide that comes with the Transformation Challenge and weekly support through the Facebook Group, he was able to maintain focus on his goals.
“That’s probably the bigger part of it, even than the exercise,” Jeremy explained. “The group here helped reinforce positive behaviors. I actually didn’t cheat once,”
Reflecting on his experience, he says the challenge motivated him to continue at PowerStrength.
‘“The intent was to make some long-term life changes. The group here made it really easy to want to keep going.”
For both Katie and Jeremy, PowerStrength provided more than a month of fitness transformation—it was an introduction to a supportive, empowering community where they could achieve their goals. With renewed confidence and health, these winners are now focused on building upon the success they achieved in just 30 days and continuing their journey to a stronger, healthier self.
READY TO TAKE CONTROL?
Men and Women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who want to get stronger and have more energy can join the Personal Training Program at PowerStrength at any time. No previous workout experience is required as each program is customized to the fitness and ability level of each individual.
Multiple personal training sessions are offered in the early morning, mid-morning, late afternoon, and evening. Find your nearest PowerStrength location – Alpine, Kentwood, Holland, Jenison, and Plainfield.
Click HERE to learn more program details and schedule your risk-free consultation.
