Scott
Riding The Tour in	California
Riding out of	Bloomfield, CT
Motivation for joining The Tour	I rode in the 2006 Health Awareness Tour and really I didn’t know what to expect. I knew the ride was going to be challenging, but what was really surprising was the reception that we received along the way and how many people really listened to our message. We have a social responsibility to help others and this is one way I feel that I can impact peoples’ lives.
Reasons for adopting an active lifestyle	I was very active in sports and recreation, but unfortunately I drifted away from exercise after college as my career and family life began to dominate my personal health. I gained considerable weight and really did not feel well. A close friend who was about 10 years older and was beginning to have a number of health related issues discussed the difficulties of getting in shape and stated that the older you become, the more difficult it is to work your way into shape and change bad habits. I realized that I needed to change some habits and maintain an active lifestyle while I was relatively young.
Why a healthy lifestyle is important	I have always lead a very active lifestyle and the reality is that when you move away from a balance in managing your health, it effects how you feel, your mood, and ability to be productive in your life.
One piece of advice to help others live a healthier life	Take small steps toward a healthier lifestyle. Set a goal to make one small change, and reward yourself when you make that change. I was at a conference about a month ago and a doctor was speaking about leading a healthier life style and stated that if your goal was to lose 100 pounds, if you evaluate your results a year later and found you lost 90, or 20, or 0, you still win! Why? Because you adopted a level of change in leading a healthier life.