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Jonah BallowRelated Images
Big Al would like his nickname to reflect his height, not weight. Oddly enough, the season-ending knee injury against New Orleans forced Al Jefferson to re-think his diet and approach to fitness.
On Tuesday afternoon, Jefferson and the American Heart Association partnered to launch the "Get Healthy with Big Al" event at Anderson Elementary School in Minneapolis. The initiative was postponed last season due to the timing of Jefferson's knee injury.
"It's real important, you know, because the day we [originally] had this scheduled I was 293, and I couldn't really talk about eating healthy because I was a big guy," Jefferson said. "But now that I can talk about it, I'm a living witness of how important it is and how great you feel. So, it's real important and real personal for me, and I really hope the kids learned something from it."
Jefferson dropped 31 pounds during his intense rehab over the summer. After averaging 23.1 points and 11 rebounds last year, Jefferson focused on shedding weight while building speed for the upcoming season. As an undersized center, Jefferson showed no issues against the super-sized big men of the league. By unloading the excess pounds, Jefferson hopes to flourish in Kurt Rambis' up-tempo style of offense and eliminate weight on his surgically repaired knee.
"Getting in shape and staying in shape is important for everyone, not just NBA players," Jefferson said. "Growing up in Mississippi, I've seen first-hand how not eating right and not exercising can lead to bigger health problems down the road. I want to make sure kids understand how important it is to take care of their bodies."
Woves broadcaster Tom Hanneman, physical therapist Andre Deloya, and marketing director for the American Heart Association's Twin Cities' office Barbara Ducharme joined Jefferson to deliver an important message to the 200 children in attendance.
Ducharme described the alarming amount of obesity among young children, "The number of overweight kids has tripled in this country since 1980. This partnership with Al and the Timberwolves is an important way we can start reversing that trend."
With the assistance of Hanneman, Jefferson grabbed the microphone and stressed the importance of making smart diet choices to the kids. In addition to choosing vegetables over candy, Jefferson also discussed the emphasis of exercise in their daily lives. The children gazed at the 6-foot-10 center, who is not only part of the program but living proof of an adjusted lifestyle.
"I mean, you can eat healthy all you want, but if you don't exercise with it, you're not going to get the full effect out of it. Exercise is just as important as eating healthy," Jefferson said.
To get the blood pumping, Jefferson and Deloya led a series of stretches with the tiny students. The children also enjoyed a mini basketball clinic, which displayed a perfect mix of fun and exercise.
"Well, it's a great opportunity," Deloya said. "Like I was talking about with Al, the foundation for a whole life is laid at this level. So much about what we eat and the tastes we acquire over time are a matter of habit, and if you can get it established early on that eating a banana is really good, that it's as good as eating a piece of candy, then you can build off of that. You've intervened at a time when you'll get the most returned for the effort you've given, and so it's very worthwhile."
The carrot at the end of the stick for the children is a chance to receive two lower level tickets to the New Orleans game on January 22 and meet Jefferson following the contest. Each child will have to fill out a worksheet that detail participation in physical activities and a healthy diet. The students will have six weeks to successfully complete the program in order to win the prize.
The Empower Me and Go Healthy Challenge programs are part of American Heart Association's Alliance For A Healthier Generation partnership with the Clinton Foundation to reduce childhood obesity.
For more information on the "Get Healthy with Big Al" program, visit www.empowerme2b.org or call 952-835-3300.
For more news and notes on the team follow the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jonah on Twitter.
On Tuesday afternoon, Jefferson and the American Heart Association partnered to launch the "Get Healthy with Big Al" event at Anderson Elementary School in Minneapolis. The initiative was postponed last season due to the timing of Jefferson's knee injury.
"It's real important, you know, because the day we [originally] had this scheduled I was 293, and I couldn't really talk about eating healthy because I was a big guy," Jefferson said. "But now that I can talk about it, I'm a living witness of how important it is and how great you feel. So, it's real important and real personal for me, and I really hope the kids learned something from it."
Jefferson dropped 31 pounds during his intense rehab over the summer. After averaging 23.1 points and 11 rebounds last year, Jefferson focused on shedding weight while building speed for the upcoming season. As an undersized center, Jefferson showed no issues against the super-sized big men of the league. By unloading the excess pounds, Jefferson hopes to flourish in Kurt Rambis' up-tempo style of offense and eliminate weight on his surgically repaired knee.
"Getting in shape and staying in shape is important for everyone, not just NBA players," Jefferson said. "Growing up in Mississippi, I've seen first-hand how not eating right and not exercising can lead to bigger health problems down the road. I want to make sure kids understand how important it is to take care of their bodies."
Woves broadcaster Tom Hanneman, physical therapist Andre Deloya, and marketing director for the American Heart Association's Twin Cities' office Barbara Ducharme joined Jefferson to deliver an important message to the 200 children in attendance.
Ducharme described the alarming amount of obesity among young children, "The number of overweight kids has tripled in this country since 1980. This partnership with Al and the Timberwolves is an important way we can start reversing that trend."
With the assistance of Hanneman, Jefferson grabbed the microphone and stressed the importance of making smart diet choices to the kids. In addition to choosing vegetables over candy, Jefferson also discussed the emphasis of exercise in their daily lives. The children gazed at the 6-foot-10 center, who is not only part of the program but living proof of an adjusted lifestyle. "I mean, you can eat healthy all you want, but if you don't exercise with it, you're not going to get the full effect out of it. Exercise is just as important as eating healthy," Jefferson said.
To get the blood pumping, Jefferson and Deloya led a series of stretches with the tiny students. The children also enjoyed a mini basketball clinic, which displayed a perfect mix of fun and exercise.
"Well, it's a great opportunity," Deloya said. "Like I was talking about with Al, the foundation for a whole life is laid at this level. So much about what we eat and the tastes we acquire over time are a matter of habit, and if you can get it established early on that eating a banana is really good, that it's as good as eating a piece of candy, then you can build off of that. You've intervened at a time when you'll get the most returned for the effort you've given, and so it's very worthwhile."
The carrot at the end of the stick for the children is a chance to receive two lower level tickets to the New Orleans game on January 22 and meet Jefferson following the contest. Each child will have to fill out a worksheet that detail participation in physical activities and a healthy diet. The students will have six weeks to successfully complete the program in order to win the prize.
The Empower Me and Go Healthy Challenge programs are part of American Heart Association's Alliance For A Healthier Generation partnership with the Clinton Foundation to reduce childhood obesity.
For more information on the "Get Healthy with Big Al" program, visit www.empowerme2b.org or call 952-835-3300.
For more news and notes on the team follow the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jonah on Twitter.
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