Posted on Friday, July 11, 2014 at 12:15 pm

Correction: Wallauer COY The Orange Belt Conference boys weightlifting coach of the year for 2014 is John Wallauer Jr. of Harmony High. Information in the July 5 edition of the News-Gazette was incorrect. Wallauer led the Longhorns to their seventh consecutive OBC weightlifting crown last spring. Six Harmony lifters qualified for the Class 2A state meet under Wallauer, who also helps the Florida High School Athletic Association run the state weightliting meets (Class A and 2A) at the Kissimmee Civic Center. Fittpalooza5K Osceola Heritage Park is the site of the FITTPALOOZA5K run and fitness challenge Sept. 13. FITTPALOOZA5K does not include mud, trees, or lakes. Rather, the family-fun event is designed for people who want to experience outdoor fitness challenges. FITTPALOOZA5K is powered by FitDeck (www.fitdeck.com), as seen on ABCs Shark Tank, to provide participants with fitness challenges using the FitDeck Bodyweight exercise playing cards such as jumping jacks, push-ups, and squats at the FITT ZONES. To register for the 5K and fitness challenge event visit http://www.fittpalooza5k.com. The registration fee is $45 per person. Registrants receive a FITTPALOOZA5K t-shirt, drawstring bag and FitDeck Bodyweight Excercise Playing Cards. Open gym The City of Kissimmee, in partnership with the 360 ESAH Foundation, is offering Open Gym basketball at Denn John Middle School for teens ages 13-18. The dates are Friday and July 25. The gym is open from 6 to 10 p.m. Denn John Middle School located at 2001 Denn John Lane. The cost is $1 per person each visit. Open Gym Basketball gives teens in Kissimmee an opportunity to practice their skills while they gather with friends for a fun and safe Friday evening. All dates may be subject to change due to scheduling conflicts. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Jamie Paul at 407-518-2599 orjpaul@kissimmee.org. OHS full contact football camp The Osceola High Full Contact Football Camp for children ages 9-14 is July 24-26 at the high school. The camp runs from 6 to 8 p.m. July 24-25, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 26 (snack and lunch provided). The fee is $60 for Kissimmee Youth Football League players and $85 for others before June 15. the fee is $85 for members and $100 non members from June 16 to July 13. Registration is from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the KYFL practice field at 320 N. Beaumont Ave. in Kissimmee. Osc. Senior Softball Osceola Senior Softball welcomes players ages 55-over. All skill levels are welcome. The games are played at the Fortune Road softball complex. For more information, call 407-957-6188, email osc55sb@gmail.com or visit http://www.55plussoftball.com. Tough Mudder The Tough Mudder adventure challenge comes to Osceola County for the first time Nov. 8-9 at Trophykart Ranch on Poinciana Boulevard. Participants have until Nov. 7 to register, but early bird discounts are in effect through Oct. 9. Tough Mudder endurance challenge tests participants toughness, fitness, strength, stamina, mental grit and teamwork over a 10- to 12- mile course. Tough Mudder will host more than 60 events in countries worldwide this year. For more information about Tough Mudder visit ToughMudder.com. School District Academic champs The Osceola County School Board has named its 2013-14 Osceola Academic Champions for the spring sports of baseball, flag football, girls lacrosse, softball, tennis, track and field, boys volleyball, water polo, and boys weightlifting. This award recognizes student athletes for performance in the classroom as well as in the athletic arena. The grades of the student athletes are submitted each season to the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) and top schools in the state are also recognized by the FHSAA. All GPAs are unweighted. BASEBALL: Harmony High 3.298. Harmony finished sixth in the state in Class 7A. FLAG FOOTBALL: Harmony High 3.582. Harmony finished second in the state. GIRLS LACROSSE: Celebration High 3.405. SOFTBALL: Osceola High 3.499. Osceola finished fourth in the state in Class 7A. St. Cloud High (3.356 GPA) finished ninth in the state in Class 7A. Harmony High (3.35 GPA) finished 10th in the state in Class 7A. BOYS TENNIS : Gateway High 3.678. Gateway High School finished sixth in the state in Class 4A. GIRLS TENNIS: Harmony High 3.568. BOYS TRACK: Harmony High 3.082. GIRLS TRACK: Celebration High 3.341. BOYS VOLLEYBALL: St. Cloud High 2.927. BOYS WATER POLO: Osceola High 3.123. Osceola High finished ninth in the state. GIRLS WATER POLO: Osceola High 3.528. Osceola High finished sixth in the state. BOYS WEIGHTLIFTING: Celebration High 3.081. Osceola County Overall Academic Champion: Harmony High School GPA 3.331. Harmony High finished seventh overall in Class 7A in the FHSAAs school rankings with 55 points.

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Sports Briefs for July 12, 2014

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DETROIT (WWJ) More than 30,000 kidsand 1,600 volunteers converged on Belle Isle Wednesday to take part inthe32nd annual Metro Detroit Youth Day.

Put on by the business community each July, the popular event offers first-hand experiences and demonstrations for studentsof all ages.More than 300 local organizations, including colleges and professional sports teams participated this year helping kids explore the possibilities and picktheir future path.

32nd annual Metro Detroit Youth Day on Belle Isle (credit: Ron Dewey/WWJ)

Youth Day Coordinator Ed Deeb said more than100 scholarships are awardedat the event, which he said has been the start of many a success story.

One of our kids became a dentist, a woman, he said. Shes very proud; she called and we had pictures taken with her two years ago. Two or three are lawyers.

One of the most popular draws this year was the mobile petting zoo which featured a camel and a kangaroo.

32nd annual Metro Detroit Youth Day on Belle Isle (credit: Ron Dewey/WWJ)

Its pretty cool with all the animals, participantDestiny Frazen said.

Read more:
30,000 Kids Visit Belle Isle For Metro Detroit Youth Day

Lebaron Burston holds pictures made in 2009 when he weighed 320 pounds. Burston decided to lose weight so he could follow his dream of acting and modeling. He's had several small roles and will be a guest in two episodes of an upcoming Tyler Perry show.

Lebaron Burston of Cherryville stopped eating cheeseburgers in 2010.

The Burns High School graduate decided a career in acting and modeling was more important to him than the three 520-calorie sandwiches he could eat in one day.

"I basically stopped eating everything that I like - all sweets, all sodas, all starches and minimum bread," he said.

The only meats he ate were grilled chicken, turkey and bacon. He started an exercise program and, in 14 months, he lost 130 pounds.

While Burston, 26, made the difficult decision to change his eating habits, many people in Cleveland County struggle with obesity, smoking and diabetes.

An annual study by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation showed that Cleveland County continues to lag behind the majority of the states other 99 counties and the nation as a whole in key areas.

The county's health ranked 84 out of 100 in the study. The ranking is based on physical inactivity, limited access to excercise opportunities and social and economic factors like poverty and education. At the same time, the county experienced a modest improvement from 2013 in adult smoking rates, adult obesity rates, an increase in diabetic screenings and a lower unemployment rate.

'A lifestyle change'

Practicing self-control was hard at first, Burston said, but the longer he stayed with his new lifestyle, the easier it became to make the right choices for his health and career.

More:
Balancing choices: Losing weight pays off with roles in movies and TV for 26-year-old