Members of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) from across the country committed to their health and showed team spirit during the Fall STEPS Challenge, hosted by Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT).
Although the fall competition ended Oct. 31, the Spring STEPS Challenge began March 15 and runs through April 30.
Congratulations to the winners of Fall STEPS Challenge, which ended on Oct. 31!
Dave Goodspeed
Advanced Class Level – 2,374,711 Steps
When asked why he walked over 2 million steps for the Fall STEPS challenge, Advanced Challenge winner Dave Goodspeed said, “Since the start of the pandemic, I developed a close personal relationship with my refrigerator. I needed to do something in response to how I was tipping the scale.”
Goodspeed, director of production workers out of the union’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., decided he needed to get serious. He started in May with a walking regimen and a moderate diet, but, when presented with the opportunity to participate in the STEPS challenge, he “hit it pretty hard.”
“If the challenge had gone over 45 days, I don’t think I would have prevailed,” Goodspeed said. “There’s a threshold you cross when it becomes too much; I may have hit that threshold. I could see my competitors on a daily basis. I put in my time early in the morning, and then I even hit it again after the day ended.”
Still, Goodspeed added, “I probably will do the challenge again, but I’m not going to go crazy because it’s about health, not about winning. I advocate for a good balance of a moderate diet and healthy exercise. Next challenge, I will aim for staying in the middle of the pack and not let it become a preoccupation for me.”
Goodspeed lost more than 40 pounds since starting his health journey in May.
Charles Garst
Intermediate Level – 499,760 Steps
Unlike other STEPS Challenge winners, Charles Garst, Local 91 business representative from Rock Island, Illinois, participated in the challenge because he can’t run anymore.
“I used to be a big-time runner, but around four or five years ago, I had to have both my knees replaced due to too much running,” Garst said. “However, I like to be a competitor.”
This last challenge was Garst’s third time competing and his first time as a winner.
“I enjoyed the challenge,” he said. “It’s just a goal for me to maintain a healthy lifestyle as far as walking. But I do look on the leaderboard to see how many steps others have done. If I check that and see I’ve fallen behind, it motivates me to get up and go for a walk.”
Heather Loyd
Beginner Class Level – 298,884 Steps
Beginner class STEPS Challenge winner Heather Loyd was surprised when she found out she walked nearly 300,000 steps in SMOHIT’s Fall STEPS Challenge.
“I did the challenge because I liked the award with the peach-colored t-shirts,” she said. “When COVID-19 hit, I grabbed a friend and we started walking to stay sane. My friend is in my COVID-bubble, as they call it. We walked 4.1 miles and I decided to do the challenge as part of our regimen.”
Loyd was walking to lose weight and has successfully lost 40 pounds since she started. She also cut out a lot of sugar and fast foods, but didn’t do a rigorous diet, she noted.
“I can’t wait to do it again,” Loyd said, adding that she and her husband, Darnell Loyd, Local 36 executive board member, who was also a winner in the beginner category, have been talking about the Spring Challenge with anticipation. She aims to make it to the middle challenge pack.
BEGINNER CLASS TOP 10 WINNERS
1. Heather Loyd – 298,884
2. Shea Smith – 295,685
3. Roger Fewkes – 288,580
4. Juan Orozco – 287,290
5. Don Clerici – 283,031
6. Mike Nesbitt – 280,636
7. Benjamin Sanford – 280,104
8. Marissa Close – 279,322
9. Christina Elliott – 276,856
10. Darnell Loyd – 270,992
INTERMEDIATE CLASS TOP 10 WINNERS
1. Charles Garst – 499,760 Steps
2. Robert Batten – 495,345
3. Rich Stolenburg – 495,071
4. Daniel Maslo – 492,323
5. Lori Chute – 489,914
6. Kenny Okano – 489,628
7. Israel Rey Ascano – 489,063
8. Mechelle McNew – 488,938
9. James Jones – 485,966
10. Kim Longfield – 483,469
ADVANCED CLASS TOP 10 WINNERS
1. David Goodspeed – 2,374,711 Steps
2. Joseph Eastman – 2,220,921 Steps
3. Fredrick Cabahug – 1,835,658 Steps
4. Elfren Torres – 1,568,911 Steps
5. Kevin Millering – 1,309,918 Steps
6. Kris Harmon – 1,177,011 Steps
7. Dennis Menges – 1,161,715 Steps
8. Cody Saunders – 1,054,101 Steps
9. Lawrence Kelly – 1,034,255 Steps
10. Geneva Menges – 1,030,896 Steps
BEST ONE-DAY TEAM AVERAGE
Team SMART TD 933
TEAM T-SHIRT PHOTO DAY
Craig Vargo & Elfren Torres
BEST OVERALL TEAM
Team SMART TD 933
SURPRISE CHALLENGE – CLOSEST TO 8,000 AVERAGE STEPS
Bruce Clement
100,000 STEPS RAFFLE
Israel Rey Ascano
250,000 STEPS RAFFLE
Juan Clements
400,000 STEPS RAFFLE
Robert Wilcox
MILLION STEPS CHALLENGE INDUCTEES
1. David Goodspeed – 2,374,711 Steps
2. Joseph Eastman – 2,220,921 Steps
3. Fredrick Cabahug – 1,835,658 Steps
4. Elfren Torres – 1,568,911 Steps
5. Kevin Millering – 1,309,918 Steps
6. Kris Harmon – 1,177,011 Steps
7. Dennis Menges – 1,161,715 Steps
8. Cody Saunders – 1,054,101 Steps
9. Lawrence Kelly – 1,034,255 Steps
10. Geneva Menges – 1,030,896 Steps
MOST IMPROVED STEPPERS
1. Lawrence Kelly – Improved by 566,069 steps
2. Lisa Horn – Improved by 527,260 steps
3. Greg Blose – Improved by 264,864 steps
4. Daniel Villarruel – Improved by 254,507 steps
5. Al Drake – Improved by 194,115 steps
6. Ray Reasons – Improved by 182,552 steps
7. Brandi Johnson – Improved by 181,446 steps
8. Larry Lawrence – Improved by 173,657 steps
9. Lisa Hansen – Improved by 81,296 steps
10. Jessica Balazek – Improved by 57,777 steps
The Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) was founded in 1986 to address the impact of decades-long asbestos exposure on those working in the sheet metal industry. To date, more than 55,000 sheet metal workers have been screened as part of its ongoing Asbestos Screening Program.
SMOHIT has since expanded its mission to operate on four separate but related tracks: monitoring and documenting the health of sheet metal workers as it relates to workplace exposures and hazards; providing safety information and training related to best safety practices on and off the job; acting as an aggressive advocate for the health and safety of its members with government and through likeminded allied organizations; and providing diet and exercise information to address the health and wellness of its members.
SMOHIT has adjusted its methods and messages to reflect feedback from local unions and the industry, and to address new safety challenges as they arise. For more information on SMOHIT, visit smohit.org or call 703-739-7130.
