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Fitness First Philippines launched the annual New You Achievement Awards (NYAA) to recognize and celebrate the fitness achievements of their members. Now on its tenth year, the search was open to all Fitness First members who accomplished outstanding achievements within the past year. Online application kicked off in January 15 and after shortlisting all entries, the twelve finalists representing each club were revealed last March 15.


As fitness leaders who help people to go further in life, Fitness First took these twelve finalists on a twelve-week program to help them get to the next step of their journey and create new fitness milestones. Finalists were assessed and tracked using Boditrax before and after the program.

 

Winners were awarded in a special Recognition Night held at the Bonifacio High Street Amphitheatre last July 6, 2019. Munnish Zain Ali Khan Banbah of Fitness First Platinum RCBC took home the Overall Winner title and the Fitness Catalyst Award.  Mary Jane Kurup representing Fitness First Fairview finished as First Runner-up, and Jason Jacinto from Fitness First Mall of Asia was the Second Runner-up. More special awards were given:

  • Social Media Star: Mary Jane Kurup (Fairview)
  • Fitness Achiever Award: Marou Gloria (Metro East)
  • Fitness Catalyst Award: Shelly Heredia (Manila), Munnish Zain Ali Khan Banbah (Platinum RCBC), Mary Jane Kurup (Fairview)
  • Commitment to Fitness Award: Jason Jacinto (Mall of Asia)

 

Watch their stories and may these inspire and encourage you to become the best version of yourself.


  • To view full contest mechanics please click here

    PROGRAM MECHANICS FOR NYAA 2019:
    The Fitness First New You Achievement Awards recognizes health and fitness achievements amongst our members:

     

    • Who is qualified to join: Active members who have been with Fitness First for at least 3 months, with no outstanding dues.
    • How to join? : Interested applicants should apply online at www.fitnessfirst.com.ph, where they will be asked to answer a series of questions about their fitness achievement. They will also be asked to upload a video of them stating why they should be selected as the NYAA winner.
    • The deadline of the submission of entries will be on February 15, 2019, unless extended by Fitness First.
    • In submitting an entry, the applicant agrees that he/ she is giving Fitness First the right to use the materials submitted for marketing purposes.
    • Out of all the entries, one finalist per club will be selected based on the following criteria:
      1. 50% : Fitness Story: The applicant’s fitness story, its’ uniqueness and ability to inspire
      2. 50% : Commitment : The applicant’s willingness to undergo a 12 week journey with Fitness First to exceed their fitness goals
    • The club finalists will be announced on February 28, 2019.
    • Each of the 12 club finalists will be asked to undergo a 12 week fitness program with their home clubs. Their body statistics at the start of the 12 week program will be compared their body statistics at the end of the 12 week program.
    • By May 1, 2019 or earlier, Fitness First will be releasing videos of the finalists on social media wherein followers can vote for their favourite finalist. All finalists videos will be produced by Fitness First
    • The overall winner and runners up will win the following along with prizes from our sponsors:

      Overall Winner:

      Php50,000 + 1 Year Platinum Passport Membership for you and a friend

      1stRunner Up:

      Php30,000 + 1 Year Platinum Passport Membership

      2ndRunner Up:

      Php20,000 + 6 Months Platinum Passport Membership

    • The criteria for judging the winners are as follows:
      1. 30%: Fitness Story – The finalist’s fitness story, its’ uniqueness and ability to inspire
      2. 30% : Commitment to improvement – The finalists’ commitment to their 12 week program as measured by attendance an engagement
      3. 20%: Results - Actual results of the 12 week program from before & after
      4. 20% - Social Media Component – Results from Social Media Voting Campaign
    • The winners will be awarded in a culminating event by July, 2019. Final date and venue to be confirmed.
    • The panel of judges will be composed of executives and brand ambassadors of Fitness First Philippines
    • The winners’ selection is deemed to be final


Behind every success story is a story of struggle, setback, or failure. These twelve individuals successfully overcame adversity 
and are now ready to mark another milestone on their fitness journey.

Meet your NYAA 2019 Finalists

MARGRET ABEJUELA

Platinum Alabang

36, Consultant

Fitness First member for 3 years

 

After having abnormal blood test results and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Margret Abejuela decided to make positive changes in her life. She stopped using alcohol as a temporary escape from reality and gained real control over her life through exercise.

MIGUEL ARIAS

Platinum Aura

25, Labor and Migration Specialist

Fitness First member for 1 year

 

Miguel Arias has always been the skinny guy who struggled on putting on weight. He experienced a setback when he was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease in 2018, but this did not stop him in proving that his condition is not hindrance to reach his fitness goals.

STEFANIE YU

Platinum Greenhills

22, Architecture Student

Fitness First member for 5 years

 

A once unhealthy and unhappy girl, struggling everyday knowing that she was not her best self. Stefanie Yu found a home after joining Fitness First and a new love for weight lifting. She regained her confidence and learned to love herself more after losing 50kg, going from overweight to normal.

ZAIN BANBAH

Platinum RCBC

55, Vice President- Operations

Fitness First member for 2 years

 

At 55, Munnish Zain Ali Khan Banbah proved that it is never too late to start your transformation journey. He started training as part of his recovery from a surgery and continued working out to attain his ideal body. Now with a healthier body and after a significant weight loss, Zain is living the best time of his life and ready to push himself to the next level.

NAR CABICO

Platinum Trinoma

28, Film and TV Actor/ Singer- Songwriter

Fitness First member for 1 year

 

As an actor and performer, Nar Cabico was under the scrutiny and pressure to maintain a fit lifestyle. The demands of his job urged him to enroll at Fitness First and in three months lost 35lbs and gained more strength, a feat he once thought seemed impossible.

RENEE SORIANO

Eastwood

38, Quality Consultant

Fitness First member for 1 year & 7 months

 

Coping with a loss pushed Renee Soriano to the edge, causing her to reach 280lbs. She started to become a target of ridicule which made her realize she needs to make a change. Seeing the significant changes in her- physically, mentally, and emotionally after losing 90lbs made her appreciate the value of keeping herself fit and healthy.

 

SHELLY HEREDIA

Manila

29, Medical Doctor

Fitness First member for 1 year

 

A possible wedding engagement inspired Shelly Heredia to lose the extra weight but things didn’t work out as planned. She continued training to pursue a holistically healthier lifestyle after going through a devastating break up. The change became noticeable and helped her gain more credibility as a medical doctor as she is able to practice what she preaches. Her fitness journey inspired her co-residents and patients to follow suit.

 

BLAIRE PAROJINOG

Megamall

24, Technical Support Supervisor

Fitness First member for 9 months

 

Blaire Parojinog battled issues with drugs and depression for years and fitness played a huge part on his path to recovery. In fitness, he found a new high. Training for Spartan became a turning point in his life; with every run, he was able to build his self-esteem and discover a sense of purpose.

MARY JANE KURUP

Fairview

39, Executive Director

Fitness First member for 3 years

 

A health scare which resulted from being overweight prompted Mary Jane Kurup to take her fitness seriously. Motivated to get her fitness back up after a delicate operation and with the help of her fitness coach, she managed to lose over 100lbs, and overcame diabetes and hypertension.

ROSANNA GLORIA

Metro East

31, Entrepreneur

Fitness First member for 4 years

 

Engaging in physical activities and working out dragged Rosanna Gloria out of an almost depression state after giving birth to her first child. She slowly picked herself up and worked on improving her state of mind and overall well-being. Staying fit helped her cope better with the demands of motherhood and in her role as a wife.

JASON JACINTO

Mall of Asia

33, Freelance Sports and Events Photographer/ Graphic Designer

Fitness First member for 11 months

 

Your health needs to take the center stage when you have a family to take care of. The desire to live longer for his five kids was Jason Jacinto’s motivation to get rid of his dad bod and change his lifestyle. With persistence and discipline, he lost 90lbs in eight months, gaining more self-confidence, and improving his stamina for the daily ordeals of parenting.

CARL CUEVAS

North Edsa

29, Senior Media Relations Manager

Fitness First member for 4 years

 

Facing a quarter life crisis, having intense self-doubt and not being happy about himself, Carl Jan Cuevas decided to get his fitness back on track. Hitting a plateau did not discourage him to move forward on his fitness quest. With hard work, perseverance, and supportive community behind him, he is set to achieve more milestones as he turns 30 this year.