Five-time amateur bodybuilder, Shannon Chisholm, is getting ready to take on her sixth event and her first as a paraplegic.

When biking home on Hendersonville Road last summer, Shannon was struck by a car and left paralyzed.  Also a mother of two, she came home from the hospital having been told she would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.  In a recent article Shannon told the Asheville Citizen-Times that she remembered little of the actual accident and mainly “[waking] up in the hospital two days later [and] I realized I couldn’t move my legs…I realized at that time what challenges I would face, not only physical, but emotional and psychological.”

Regardless, Shannon remains fearless in the face of challenge, with an attitude that continues only to look forward as she prepares to continue bodybuilding as a paraplegic.  This weekend alongside friends Shannon has organized the Chisholm Champion Challenge, a multi-day fitness event on January 27 and 28 at eight different fitness venues around Asheville.  “We decided to get the word out that no matter what challenges you face in life, that it’s important to live well and live a healthy life and take care of yourself and never give up,” Chisholm said.  The event aims to help Shannon with her high medical bills as a result of the accident, as well as to raise awareness about fitness and to help Asheville residents in their pursuit of health and wellness.

With the purchase of a $10 wristband adorned with the words “Never Give Up,” participants can partake in a variety of fitness events at well-known fitness venues around the city.  Events kick off Friday evening at Sun Soo Taekwondo in West Asheville on Haywood Road, with an emphasis on yoga and pilates.

Throughout the duration of the weekend there will be a fitness-related raffle going on, with all proceeds going toward the Chisholm family and health & fitness awareness.  One of the raffles offered is the Three Minute Egg, giving away a Namastegg Starter Kit which includes two Eggs, a backpack and the Special Edition Alignment & Flow DVD.  Winners will be announced on Saturday evening at the Asheville Racquet Club.

There are many different fitness routes you can take on Saturday, depending on where you end up going.  Asheville Fitness Center on Brevard Road starts the morning at 8:15 with spinning and continues with step, zumba and sculpt classes until noon.  In South Asheville at the Asheville Racquet Club participants start with a breakfast mixer and continue on with spinning, boxing, muscle pump and an indoor adult durathlon along with kid-friendly activities such as Toddler Two-Step, Silly Soccer and a Teen Turf Traithlon.  If you’re further out West toward Fletcher, The Body Shop Fitness Center will host zumba, spinning and a body tone class from 9-11 that morning; or, if you’re looking for a rough-and-tough kick start, LT’s Primal Fitness are hosting bootcamps and CrossFitness classes at the top of each hour from 8 AM til noon.  Downtown at Lululemon catch a yoga, strength & cardio class from 10-11 AM to “make your fat cells cry!”  The Rush 24/7 on Hendersonville Road is offering an all-day spinning challenge, offering 30 minute or one-hour rides, and 03 Health & Fitness on Riverside is offering an 8:30 AM bootcamp, following by fitness evaluations until 11.

No matter where you go, you’re sure to gain a morning of great workouts.  And, to bring the weekend to a close and to celebrate in the awesomeness of health and fitness, don’t miss the Zumba party from 4-9 PM at the Downtown location of the Asheville Racquet Club.

What a fantastic way to bring the month of January, which many deem as “fitness month” following new years’ resolutions, to a close with a weekend that continues momentum and helps raise awareness for the immense value in health and wellness.  For more information visit the Chisholm Champion Challenge website or find them on Facebook to stay updated before and throughout the weekend.  Three Minute Egg is excited to take part in a cause that helps to encourage Shannon and strengthen her cause, one that resonates with both individuals and the community.

Tags: Asheville, Asheville Citizen-Times, Asheville Fitness Club, Asheville Racquet Club, awareness, body building, bootcamp, boxing, Champion Chisholm Challenge, cycling, fitness, fitness evaluation, fundraising, kid-friendly activities, Lululemon, O3 Health & FItness, pilates, Shannon Chisholm, spinning, Sun Soo Taekwondo, The Body Shop Health & Fitness, The Rush, therapeutic yoga, three minute egg, Western North Carolina, yoga, yoga and injury, zumba

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