Early on a cool, overcast Saturday morning, folks gathered to shed some light on heart disease. The YMCA Statesboro Heart Run, in it second year, was the reason so many emerged from their homes to get up and run.
YMCA board chair and Centers of Excellence Accreditation Manager at East Georgia Regional Medical Center, Bryan Realiza, reports that heart disease is the number one killer in Bulloch County.
"We are among one of the top cardiovascular deaths in the state of Georgia," Realiza says. "We're also against the norm of the nation. Historically, it's always been African American men that have the highest rates of death; for Bulloch County, it's Caucasian women that have the highest rates of death, and it's women over the age of 40."
"We wanted to have an event where we could bring awareness to that and really try to bring some sort of positivity and kind of spin this in a way where people are more aware of their cardiovascular health," Realiza continues.
The YMCA has partnered with Georgia Southern University and East Georgia Regional Medical Center to develop a Phase 3, 12-week cardiac rehabilitation program, the first of its kind in Statesboro. Staffed by masters students at Georgia Southern and hosted at the Y, cardiovascular patients can sign up for free monitoring, guidance, and support on their quest for a healthy heart.
One program graduate was an employee at the YMCA who found himself in need of the services.
"He had a stroke, he went through that program, and he ran the race last year. It was a full 360 moment," Realiza says with a smile. "If we can do that with one person, that makes all of this worth it, but I know that we can definitely impact more than one."
Realiza cites high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and obesity as a few of the risk factors for a heart attack or stroke, but he is hopeful that with key lifestyle changes, adverse medical events like these may be averted.
"The biggest thing is just getting up and getting active," Realiza advises. "Exercise can help with a lot of things."
49-year-old Orinthal Striggles, Associate Head Coach/Distance at Allen University in Columbia, SC, who finished second by only two minutes behind his son, Orin Striggles, a 17-year-old high school student and track athlete, says that one must choose their "hard."
"First and foremost, I would say if you value your life, you would get up because life is going to be hard anyway. It's hard being a sick individual, but it's also hard to get out every day and exercise; however, there's a rewarding factor that begins to feel good and it starts to translate into good energy the more you do it, and the more you understand your purpose, you will never get bored of it," Striggles says.
Orin Striggles, who was the first to cross the finish line, encourages kids to have a healthy balance of screen time and exercise.
"I enjoy doing both," Striggles says. "You've just got to enjoy it and make it a lifestyle."
Hannah Beggs, executive director of the Statesboro Family YMCA, is exuberant about the partnership with EGRMC and Georgia Southern, as well as the execution of the Y's second successful Heart Run. The cardiac rehabilitation program is made possible through fundraisers and local sponsors.
"It is actually funded through things like this race," Beggs says, "so everyone who is walking and running right now is actually helping another 12-week program."
Over the last two years, over 50 people have successfully completed the 12-week lifestyle reset and maintained their newly-learned healthy habits. The collaboration also offers preventative care for local residents.
"We do have a partner program called Heart Works, which is pre [cardiac event], so that's the preventative care," Beggs explains. "So if you have high blood pressure, if you're at risk of having a heart attack or a stroke, you can come to us and they'll do that free program too."
Beggs put the all-call out for next year's participants for this yearly program.
"Every year, we're looking for sponsors and runners, so next year in February, right in the beginning, first weekend we're going to be having this race again for the third year," she says, "and you can come by any time to the Statesboro Y and take a free week, get a tour, and see what it's really about."
For more information about the Statesboro Family YMCA, please visit their website.
See the 5K results below. You can view winners by age group here.
OVERALL FINISH LIST 5k Place Name Bib No Age Age Group Place Total Time 1 Orin Striggles 110 17 1:Open 17:36.1 2 Orinthal Striggles 111 49 2:Open 17:38.3 3 James O'Brien 149 40 1:M 40-49 18:27.4 4 Cole Stevenson 109 18 1:M 11-19 19:17.6 5 Brayan Escudero 136 23 1:M 20-29 20:23.4 6 Karley Schultz 100 14 1:Open 21:25.3 7 Johnny Reyes 153 33 1:M 30-39 21:31.2 8 Joseph Hand 47 10 1:M 1-10 21:38.2 9 Antonio Napier 81 22 2:M 20-29 21:48.3 10 Erick Quierio 41 33 2:M 30-39 22:06.7 11 Ed Lynch 62 22 3:M 20-29 23:24.1 12 Alexander Ours 85 30 3:M 30-39 24:02.5 13 Asher Bohannon 15 16 2:M 11-19 24:04.3 14 Sullivan James 142 12 2:Open 24:34.7 15 Jonathan napier 80 52 1:M 50-59 25:12.2 16 Castro Diego 31 26 4:M 20-29 25:18.7 17 Aracely Estrada 137 11 1:F 11-19 25:19.6 18 Peyton Siebert 101 23 1:F 20-29 25:24.9 19 Juan de Dios Martinez 146 45 2:M 40-49 25:33.1 20 Mandi Allen 2 42 1:F 40-49 25:34.8 21 Justine Coleman 134 39 1:F 30-39 25:43.9 22 Greg Davis 29 41 3:M 40-49 26:12.1 23 Anna Klayman 56 35 2:F 30-39 26:15.5 24 Jack Bohannon 13 9 2:M 1-10 26:19.1 25 Michael Aurelio 129 37 4:M 30-39 26:24.5 26 Jacob Turner 116 30 5:M 30-39 26:35.5 27 Nathan Brown 22 30 6:M 30-39 26:36.4 28 Jason Brown 21 30 7:M 30-39 26:53.2 29 Hampton Brannen 19 13 3:M 11-19 27:00.6 30 Jim Harris 50 70 1:M 70-79 27:07.2 31 Blake Thompson 113 32 8:M 30-39 27:10.4 32 Haley Smith 169 11 2:F 11-19 27:23.5 33 Emma Morris 76 21 2:F 20-29 27:34.7 34 Abigail Hazel 51 14 3:F 11-19 27:43.1 35 Erin Nix 83 20 3:F 20-29 27:48.5 36 Brian Daughtry 28 55 2:M 50-59 27:57.3 37 Dave Guenthner 44 52 3:M 50-59 28:20.1 38 Anthony Avila 7 14 4:M 11-19 28:46.6 39 Steve Walker 159 67 1:M 60-69 28:49.9 40 Ellen Murphy 147 27 4:F 20-29 29:10.5 41 Mark ANDERSON 3 40 4:M 40-49 29:17.1 42 Fay Blythe 12 43 2:F 40-49 29:25.1 43 Julie Powell 89 54 1:F 50-59 29:32.6 44 Faith Vincent 118 23 5:F 20-29 29:35.4 45 Estefania Nieves 148 36 3:F 30-39 30:45.2 46 India Brannen 20 23 6:F 20-29 31:12.6 47 Mark Fuller 140 38 9:M 30-39 31:26.7 48 Kevin Faircloth 37 60 2:M 60-69 31:32.7 49 Donald Mobley 73 47 5:M 40-49 31:46.6 50 Michael McAlvin 68 26 5:M 20-29 32:12.9 51 Dub Vaughters 158 8 3:M 1-10 32:15.4 52 Melissa Mitchell 72 43 3:F 40-49 32:19.1 53 Kayden Mcalvin 69 25 7:F 20-29 32:23.7 54 Karyl Parker 86 46 4:F 40-49 32:34.8 55 Sheena McKinnis 70 45 5:F 40-49 33:01.4 56 David Hall 45 70 2:M 70-79 33:19.0 57 Amanda Graham 42 37 4:F 30-39 33:35.0 58 Alijah Wright 168 19 5:M 11-19 34:13.8 59 Bre Bohannon 14 13 4:F 11-19 34:52.9 60 Aiden Salazar 172 11 6:M 11-19 34:54.6 61 Sreevalli Dega 30 42 6:F 40-49 35:02.0 62 John Bohannon 16 39 10:M 30-39 35:06.7 63 Emily Bohannon 17 40 7:F 40-49 35:07.5 64 Taylor Manning 63 31 11:M 30-39 35:14.5 65 Candace Rushing 95 53 2:F 50-59 35:16.6 66 Becca Collins 176 39 5:F 30-39 35:18.5 67 Molly Cooper 25 14 5:F 11-19 36:21.8 68 Ethan Bennett 133 12 7:M 11-19 36:25.3 69 Ricky Roberts 171 58 4:M 50-59 36:49.8 70 Mallory Williams 163 22 8:F 20-29 37:38.7 71 Christian Williams 167 23 6:M 20-29 37:39.5 72 Tammy Fincher 38 60 1:F 60-69 38:36.3 73 Caela LaRochester 59 33 6:F 30-39 38:58.6 74 Wren Rushing 154 10 4:M 1-10 39:24.0 75 Lacey Rushing 155 37 7:F 30-39 39:26.7 76 ANGELA BOYETT-BARNES 18 45 8:F 40-49 39:50.6 77 Jack Wallace 165 22 7:M 20-29 40:05.0 78 Lindsey Oglesby 84 34 8:F 30-39 40:45.6 79 Laura Wheaton 120 52 3:F 50-59 41:41.3 80 Samantha Quick 90 50 4:F 50-59 42:19.6 81 Caden Baxter 10 19 8:M 11-19 42:21.0 82 Kiersten Osborne 166 20 9:F 20-29 43:18.6 83 Andre Wright 164 22 8:M 20-29 43:22.1 84 Kimberly Kennedy 54 42 9:F 40-49 44:08.6 85 Lili Sheehan 156 20 10:F 20-29 44:10.0 86 Teagan Phillips 151 21 11:F 20-29 44:11.4 87 Carolyn Edwards 32 79 1:F 70-79 45:04.7 88 Eunok Lim 144 40 10:F 40-49 45:23.3 89 Doyul Park 175 11 9:M 11-19 45:24.4 90 Amy Underwood 117 63 2:F 60-69 46:30.6 91 Caitlyn Pike 88 22 12:F 20-29 46:32.4 92 MATTHEW SCHULTZ 99 45 6:M 40-49 46:48.1 93 Theresa Kindig 55 62 3:F 60-69 47:01.8 94 Dane Beall 132 47 7:M 40-49 47:17.8 95 Barbara Taylor 112 56 5:F 50-59 47:25.3 96 Dave Barnes 9 62 3:M 60-69 47:26.7 97 Joanne Atekha 6 60 4:F 60-69 47:50.0 98 Courage Atekha 5 58 5:M 50-59 47:51.3 99 Angie Morgan 75 0 1:F 0- 0 47:53.8 100 Tanner Spikes 105 13 10:M 11-19 47:55.9 101 Lindsey Reid 92 26 13:F 20-29 48:21.7 102 Neo Zheng 127 20 9:M 20-29 48:35.7 103 Kaylin Andrews 128 20 14:F 20-29 48:37.5 104 Kristin Griffis 141 35 9:F 30-39 49:03.1 105 Katharine Ours 150 31 10:F 30-39 49:05.3 106 Lexy Lee 143 24 15:F 20-29 49:07.1 107 Katherine Spurlock 107 66 5:F 60-69 49:22.9 108 Daniel Feaster 138 26 10:M 20-29 49:29.8 109 Taylor Feaster 139 27 16:F 20-29 49:31.4 110 Beverly Graham 43 74 2:F 70-79 49:35.1 111 Chris Geyerman 40 64 4:M 60-69 49:37.2 112 Joya Pharms 87 42 11:F 40-49 51:19.8 113 Savanna Cromley 135 29 17:F 20-29 51:22.1 114 Kylie Cromley 174 7 1:F 1-10 51:22.8 115 Haley Tillman 114 28 18:F 20-29 51:23.4 116 Javier Marcelo 65 34 12:M 30-39 51:24.5 117 Theresa Kline 58 42 12:F 40-49 51:29.8 118 Loren Billeiter 11 26 19:F 20-29 51:59.5 119 Caroline Nezelek 82 21 20:F 20-29 52:21.1 120 Alexa Morabito 74 21 21:F 20-29 52:21.9 121 Hoke Brunson 173 80 1:M 80-99 52:52.4 122 Milagros Washington 119 61 6:F 60-69 53:02.7 123 Kham Manephon 145 65 7:F 60-69 53:05.7 124 Christopher Walker III 160 73 3:M 70-79 54:46.0 125 Wendy Williams 122 67 8:F 60-69 54:49.7 126 Ronnie M. Reeves 152 86 2:M 80-99 54:56.2 127 Angela Hammond 46 0 2:F 0- 0 54:57.8 128 Kerri-Ann Tingle 115 33 11:F 30-39 55:10.1 129 Nicholas Jordan 53 34 13:M 30-39 55:11.7 130 Jacob Schofill 97 28 11:M 20-29 55:36.6 131 Scott Schofill 98 63 5:M 60-69 55:37.8 132 Daci Flakes 39 24 22:F 20-29 56:02.0 133 Taylor Miller 71 31 12:F 30-39 56:03.7 134 Bradley Reid 91 35 14:M 30-39 57:23.1 135 Jennie Spikes 106 43 13:F 40-49 58:16.5 136 DeDe Roberts 170 58 6:F 50-59 58:26.9 137 Brigham Beall 130 11 6:F 11-19 58:29.2 138 Stephanie Beall 131 42 14:F 40-49 58:30.5 139 Katie Wolfe 124 34 13:F 30-39 58:50.8 140 Allison Alday 1 20 23:F 20-29 63:18.7 141 Tim Faircloth 35 54 6:M 50-59 65:46.8 142 Michelle Faircloth 36 58 7:F 50-59 65:47.9 143 Connor Lyman 60 0 1:M 0- 0 69:30.1 144 Meredith Lyman 61 50 8:F 50-59 69:38.0
