Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/43023
2B Daily News – Monday, September 26, 2011 Vitality & health PAJARO (MCT) — When Teddy Herrera fin- ished an assembly at Pajaro Middle School on Tuesday, a school administrator had to really work to get stu- dents to back away from him, to allow a TV reporter to set up a camera tripod. "The girls are getting Teddy's autograph," one boy shouted to his friends as he ran to see the ongoing commotion. Who the heck is Teddy Herrera, this 25-year-old from Elk Grove, who can get 400 middle-schoolers to listen and get inspired? Herrera explained his story while showing slides from his bike ride across America last year with his new venture, Across Amer- ican for Childhood Obesity (www.aa4co.com). He fin- ished the 11,000-mile, nine-month bike ride in March, after stops at more than 100 schools, hiring his first two employees this spring. His second cross-coun- try ride began last week, with a stop at the Pajaro school by invitation of teacher Margie Jennings. Herrera told his story early on, after some rousing techniques and infectious dynamism. He told the mid- dle-schoolers he walked into the house one day, on Sept. 11, 2007, and saw his dad sitting on the couch. He said that never hap- pened with his 47-year-old father because he was always working, if not at a business he started at age 18, then outside in the yard. He said his dad made a sound similar to a snore, leaned his head back, and died of a heart attack. A photograph of his dad was on the auditorium screen at that point; he looked fit and strong. "He had an unhealthy Cross-country cyclist inspires students MCT photo Activist Teddy Herrera speaks to Pajaro Middle School kids about his 11,000-mile bike ride across America last year with his new venture, Across American for Childhood Obesity (www.aa4co.com). heart because of the things he ate and because of his lack of regular exercise," Herrera told the kids. More impetus came later, when he visited his grandmother's house on a sunny day and found that his 12-year-old twin cousins wouldn't go outside because they were spending hours playing video games, he said. He said he thought there was nothing he could do and then decided that was untrue, and that he wanted to prove that one person can make a difference. He said his dad had told him he could be whatever he wanted to be, and that he aimed for professional base- ball and a mariachi band called "Los Jalapenos." Then he poked a bit of fun at himself for work that had him wearing spandex in front of people. "You can't be whatever you want," he said. "But you will be whatever you decide to be." Drawing from his long ride, he said he nearly turned back while heading over the Sierra, lost his tent in a storm while camping behind a gas station with only $10 in his pocket, and contracted pneumonia dur- ing a Dallas ice storm. But he made it. He advised the young students to set daily goals they can achieve, believe in themselves and do it. He had them hold out their hands and imagine a delete button in the center they could hit to discard discouraging comments, and said his mom had not encouraged him, but had questioned him whether he was sure he really wanted to embark on that ride. But, he said, his cousins called when he was in Kansas and said they were riding bikes daily and map- ping the miles as if they were with him. They made Boston after four months, he said, adding later that some students track progress that way too. James W. Tysinger, Jr. M.D. Eye Physician & Surgeon Fellow American Academy of Ophtalmology We accept Medical, Medicare & most Insurances Office Hours: Tues-Wed-Thurs 8am-4:30pm Mon & Fri 1pm-5pm For Emergencies, After Hours, Week-ends, Call 530-567-5001 345 Hickory St. Red Bluff Tel: (530) 529-4733 Fax: (530) 529-1114 •Weight Loss • Kickboxing • Muscle Tone • Boot Camps • Strength Training & Sport Specific Training J J & No Gym, No Problem! We come to you! or email: in.homefitness@yahoo.com Call Jacob (530) 529-0095 In Home Fitness After the assembly, he said, smiling a wide smile, that it's those he meets at schools that make it all worthwhile. "People ask me what it's like to inspire kids, but I'm inspired by people every day," he said. "Otherwise, why did I ride? The people at schools fuel me." He smiled again and said that he "found out that a lot of people take that trip," rid- ing across country, but that people seem to appreciate his sharing of his story with children. That seemed the case with Pajaro eighth-graders Marcos Escobar and Elias Limon, who both said it was cool Herrera believed so strongly in himself, while Juan Flores vowed to set daily goals to improve his soccer game. Jackie Lopez said she liked everything about it. Sitting beside Lopez out- side, 13-year-old Lizzeth Cosio added quietly that "what he is doing is very nice for all the kids." Nutrition Quiz: Vitamin B-12 (MCT) — Every red- blooded American — and people from other countries, too — needs to be properly dosed with vitamin B-12, in large part to hasten red blood cell formation. But there's so much more to know about B-12. Take our quiz to find out. 1. Which of the fol- lowing does B-12 not positively contribute to? a) Neurological func- tion b) Reduced kidney CK levels c) DNA synthesis 2. According to the Mayo Clinic newsletter, a normal body will store how much B-12 in the liver? a) "Two days' worth" b) "A few weeks' worth" worth" c) "Several years' 3. Which serving of the following does not provide 100 percent of the daily value (listed at 6 micrograms) for B-12? clams steak a) 3 ounces of fried b) 3-ounce top sirloin c) "Fortified" break- fast cereal 4. Those who are ane- mic have difficulty absorbing B-12 from the intestinal tract. Which population is not at spe- cial risk for being B-12 deficient? a) Elderly b) Vegetarians c) Endurance athletes 5. In healthy people, how much of a 500- microgram oral supple- ment is actually absorbed by the body? a) 6 mcg b) 10 mcg c) 50 mcg ANSWERS: 1: b; 2: c; 3: .b; 4: c; 5: b Sources: National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Sup- plements (http://ods.od.nih.gov); Mayo Clinic (www.may- oclinic.com). fitness