Meet the team
Kelly Stanton
Larry Butka
Carole DeAngelo
Jessica Tennant
Paul Setto
Liz Rogers
Observer-Reporter team in the Biggest Winner competition is a diverse group, yet one that shares a common goal – a healthier way of living.
The following is a snapshot of each team member.
Eating on the run is a way of life for Larry Butka of Canonsburg. As an outside salesman working for a steel distributor, Butka travels 125 to 250 miles a day, and eats out three to five times a week. He regularly stops at convenience stores for a quick bite. He said customers also egg him on to try places with “the best” hoagies, “the best” pizza or “the best” Mexican food.
”The doctor said that while my blood pressure is controlled by medication, ‘If you would lose 10 to 15 pounds, that would help tremendously,'” Butka recounted. “And I thought this contest might give me a kick in the butt.”
He said his daughter may have planted the seed for him to get involved in the Biggest Winner.
”I had my 50th birthday (last) July, and my daughter made a collage with a lot of different pictures. It was one of those holy-you-know-what moments,” Butka said, citing not only thinning hair but weight gain.
Butka and his wife, Nikole, also have a son.
Because he is involved in the community through various groups, Larry Butka hopes his participation in the contest will help others as well.
Observer-Reporter, Carole DeAngelo actually was involved in the O-R’s decision to get involved with the Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center’s already established Biggest Winner contest as a way to promote better health.
After meeting with representatives of the center, “We thought this was the perfect segue to incorporate their contest with our team,” she said, adding that the contest might not only help the members of the team, but readers of the paper as well.
DeAngelo, 46, of Canonsburg, said, “I’m a proponent of teamwork and a proponent of positive living.”
She further explained that she already exercises and uses that time to reflect and plan, “but there’s sweat involved.
”I truly believe healthy living promotes a positive way of life,” she said.
DeAngelo and her partner, Becca, have a 15-year-old son, and DeAngelo’s 87-year-old mother also recently moved in with them. Taking care of them is part of her motivation.
DeAngelo only recently started her new job after working in shopping center management for 20 years. While a self-proclaimed “jokester,” DeAngelo said she intends to take the competition seriously, and is looking forward to working alongside the other five members of the O-R team.
In addition, “I hope the community as a whole looks at this to help improve their lifestyles,” she said.
Being a newspaper editor is a demanding and stressful job – just ask Liz Rogers.
Rogers, 54, said she decided to start the new year by committing to a healthier lifestyle, noting the six weeks of the Biggest Winner contest is the “optimum amount of time” to break bad snacking habits and start good, new habits that involve regular exercise.
Rogers, who lives in South Strabane Township, cited a family history of heart disease. Her father died of a heart attack in his 50s.
”It’s time to get serious about healthy eating and regular exercise,” she said.
In addition to her family’s history of heart disease, Rogers said she also was inspired to participate in the contest by one of her daughters – a nutritionist who works out every day. Rogers and her husband, Nick, also have two other daughters.
In addition to those reasons for committing to the Biggest Winner, Rogers said, “And hopefully as a bonus, I’ll drop a few pounds, too.”
Paul Setto of Canonsburg said he watched “The Biggest Loser” reality television show for years and admired the contestants for the changes they made in their lives through exercise and diet.
”At my age, I want to do everything in my power to live a healthy lifestyle so I can be there for my family,” said Setto.
He and his wife, Janet, have four grown daughters and 10 grandchildren.
Paul Setto said, “I want to try and refine my diet. I want to watch what I eat and how I eat, and cut down on junk food.”
A retired math teacher at Canon-McMillan Middle School, Paul Setto said he has another reason for joining the O-R team in the competition.
”I would like to be an example to other seniors,” he said.
Kelly Stanton said she has been struggling with her weight for some time. The mother of nine – five under the age of 8 – said she has put her own needs on the back burner.
”I have been in caretaker mode for a long time,” she added.
Stanton, 47, said she also cared for a grandmother for seven years before she died at age 93 and her father until his death at age 72 last year. She did that all while raising children and managing a boarding stable. Today, she helps care for her mother, and a grandson who lives with her, and her husband, Keith, who rent a farm in North Bethlehem Township with eight horses, five dogs and “many” cats, as she put it.
”I usually rank in there last,” she said.
As for deciding to become a member of the O-R team in the Biggest Winner, Kelly Stanton said, “I read about it, and thought it could be fun and a great challenge. And anytime you work with other people who encourage you, that is always good,” she said.
Encouraging her behind the scenes to apply to be a contestant were two brothers, whom she described as “fitness gurus”.
At age 34, Jessica Tennant is the youngest of the O-R team and has a different set of circumstances that have led her to the Biggest Winner.
”Two years ago, my precious son was born, but he forgot to take the baby weight with him,” Tennant said.
”I think many women put all of their effort into their family, their career and home, and you forgot about yourself,” she said. “So, I would like to add physical activity back into my daily routine again and eat better for myself and my family.”
Her goals for the contest are weight loss, toning and improved energy.
Married to Dan Tennant and a resident of Strabane, Jessica Tennant is director of community relations for the United Way of Washington County.
”With busy schedules, it’s easy to just order pizza,” she admitted.