Destination Destin, a friendly competition among West Tennessee educators, has brought big rewards for Chester County High School teacher Lee Pipkin. Eight weeks after Destination Destin began, Pipkin is 25 pounds lighter. Her belt is four notches tighter and she’s made friends who encourage her to be fit and healthy.

Destination Destin was sponsored by Le Bonheur Community Outreach and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation as part of the “Fit School” program that was provided to four West Tennessee schools. Educators were encouraged to form teams of eight and collectively walk 500 miles, which is about the distance to Destin, Fla. The team at each of the four schools that reached 500 miles first during the eight-week program was entered to win a 2-night stay in Destin.

“I am a 37-year-old high school girls basketball coach with plenty of resources and ‘know how’ to get in shape and live healthier,” Pipkin said. However, between teaching, coaching and taking care of her three children, there was little time for her. Destination Destin motivated Pipkin to check out the new gym in Henderson and to make sure her team racked up enough miles to win the competition. She soon started losing weight and gaining more energy. She also met other women her age at the gym.

“Now we are good friends and have even had a ‘girls night out,’ something I haven't done since getting married 11 years ago! Now, I look forward to going to the gym everyday and my family knows that it is my time,” Pipkin said.

Pipkin went from size 14 to a size 10 and hopes to lose more weight. She says she’s looking forward to putting on a swim suit this summer.

“The goal of Destination Destin is to help educators become more healthy role models for their students. Lee is a great example of the life change that can happen when we put our health first,” Amy McLean, Healthy Schools manager with Le Bonheur, said.

Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center’s efforts to care for the region’s children extend beyond the walls of the hospital. Le Bonheur Community Outreach addresses the social, economic and environmental factors that threaten children’s health and well-being across West Tennessee. Each year more than 500,000 children are touched by programs like Healthy Schools, the Center for Children & Parents, Community HIV Network, Safe Kids Mid-South, Le Bonheur Early Intervention and Development and Therapy Outreach. For more information on Le Bonheur Community Outreach, contact, Amy McLean at 731-984-9953

Caption: Lee Pipkin’s Destination Destin team from Chester County High School encouraged her to be healthy and lose weight. Front row: Lee Pipkin, Angelia Haltom, Norma Tulley. Back row: Liss Hayes, Shirley Reddinger, Debbie Cupples, Amy Howell. Not pictured: Sherry Hutcherson.