Highway to Health Festival Kicks Off With Dr. Oz
The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center recently hosted "The Highway to Health Festival," which provided attendees an opportunity to see how making simple lifestyle changes in eating, mental thinking, and fitness can change their lives for the better. Highway to Health was organized in partnership with the USTA and HealthCorps, a proactive health movement whose core mission is to fight childhood obesity and empower teens and communities to become health agents of change. HealthCorps was founded in 2003 by Dr. Mehmet Oz, from “The Dr. Oz Show,” with his wife, Lisa. Since then, HealthCorps has created several health initiatives and has partnered with nearly 50 schools spanning 11 states. Like a Peace Corps for Health, HealthCorps is a national service and peer mentoring initiative that empowers teens in underserved populations.
The day of festivities included many different demonstrations to show people various activities they can do in order to live a healthier lifestyle. Some of the activities and demonstrations offered included Capoiera instruction, Zumba dance classes, yoga demonstrations, martial arts performances and uni-cycle riding. Walking through the uni-cycle area was quite the obstacle course as there were five-year-olds riding uni-cycles with big training wheels. There were also free health foods and drinks available to the public. Along with these exhibitions, there was also a talent show where local teens had the opportunity to showcase their dance moves and singing ability in front of an audience.
The event was hosted by television celebrity Dr. Oz and featured guest appearances by local health success stories. One of the guests was Alfredo Dinten from Season 10 of “The Biggest Loser,” who spoke to the attendees about the dangers of obesity and how his life has improved as a result of living and eating healthy. Dr. Oz, speaking to the crowd said, “These friends of mine on this stage are up here to instill confidence in you. Each one of them shows you that drastic changes can happen if you put in the effort to change and adjust your lifestyle to a healthier one.”
The festival also included a 5K fun run and Teen Battle Chef Competition which made for a jam-packed day of fun and healthy activities. At around noon, Dr. Oz walked over to where the QuickStart Tennis demonstrations were being held, grabbed a junior racquet, and starting hitting some foam balls with tennis students. The competition got heated as Dr. Oz went up against a team of experienced QuickStart players. After a rally of about 10 points, one of the players smashed a backhand down the line to which Dr. Oz said, “Wow, that was a great backhand!” Admitting defeat, he walked over to the net, shook his opponent’s hands and offered his congratulations to them. After his QuickStart match, Dr. Oz took photos with the players and informed them all to “Make big muscles and put on your mean face.” Dr. Oz indicated that "I love the precision of the game and the great exercise it offers."
Credit all photos to Michael Sarro
