Life lines

LITTLE ROCK — Name that leader

Here's your chance to shine a spotlight on that inspirational fitness-supporting buddy you admire for being so very fi t or ... building a trail, teaching children to jump-rope, volunteering at every race ... rewarding employees who exercise ... providing a bicycle rack ... or whatever. The Arkansas Governor's Council on Fitness and Baptist Health are accepting nominations for their annual Leadership Awards. Nominations are due Sept. 30.

The eight awards recognize "an outstanding individual or organization that demonstrates a commitment to the promotion of physical activity and health" and "serves as a role model epitomizing personal health and fitness and demonstrating enjoyment of activity and sportsmanship."

To nominate someone or some entity, you submit a form,which is available online at arkansasfitness.com, and back that up with:

A one-page summary of why the nominee should be praised in public, for example, certifications, committee service, presentations conducted, classes taught, programs developed, grants obtained.

At least two recommendation letters.

Leaders will be honored in these categories: corporate (for a business with 10 or more employees), government agency, senior citizen (65 or older), health and fitness club (private clubs, wellness centers or city recreation centers), school or school district, physical educator (for PE teachers), outstanding individual or group, trails (for those who make or make use of a trail).

Requirements for each category are on the application form. Winners aren't allowed to win the same category again for three years.

The 2009 Leadership Awards will be handed out Nov. 13 at the Peabody Little Rock hotel.

Submissions can be addressed to E. Lee Crawford, Arkansas Department of Health, Lifestage Health Branch, Arkansas Governor's Council on Fitness coordinator, 4815 W. Markham St., Slot H-41, Little Rock, Ark. 72205. They can be e-mailed to Richard.Crawford@arkansas.gov.

Gina Marchese Pharis will counsel the confused at (501) 918-5321.

Open Water Swim

The Ozark Open Water Swim begins at 8 a.m. Saturday in Beaver Lake's Hickory Creek Park.

For $30, swimmers have their choice of a 1, 2 or 4K swimming race in the lake, supported by rescue people. Swimmers younger than 18 will pay $15, and all members of a family can enter for $60.

Registration details are at ozarkopenwaterswim.com.

The Eliminator

The well-named Lake Atalanta Eliminator 5K/1K begins at 7:30 a.m. Saturday in historicdowntown Rogers - and at 7:50 a.m. in Lake Atalanta Park.

"It actually starts at both times," says race director Howard Conley. The earlier time is for the first of two 1K children's runs, and the later is for the 3.1-mile road event.

At 7:30 a.m., children in kindergarten through second grade will toe the line at the old Frisco Caboose. A second 1K race, for third-, fourth- and fifth-graders will follow.

Then, miles away down at Lake Atalanta, the 5K will begin. Its 3.1-mile, point-to-point course begins on a gently rolling gravel road about midway around the west side of the lake. Racers will run around the lake before leaving the park for Walnut Street and chugging up a big, bad hill - "the Eliminator." After they surmount this beastly eminence, they still have many relatively fl at yards in which to regroup and begin their mighty kick to the finish at the Frisco Caboose.

Conley urges everyone to be aware of the four-way stop at Walnut and Arkansas streets and also, to please not fall down on the railroad tracks.

Race-day registration, which costs $20 for the 5K and $10 for the kiddie races, will open at 6:30 a.m. at the caboose and also at the Daisy Events Center in the park. Preregistration costs $15 for the 5K and $7 for the children; Conley will relay forms via e-mail from 6run4fun@cox.net. More information is at (479) 621-9020.

Grit

Studio Pilates in Fayetteville will begin offering a one-hour, high intensity athletic-conditioning class called Grit. Based on Pilates principles, the class will include advanced core conditioning exercises, including hand weights, the BOSU ball, a wall barre, and Therabands, as well as other challenging exercises for stability, strength, range, balance and coordination. Each class will cost $15; classes will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. Fridays. To try out the class for free, call ahead to (479) 587-8558.

Grant money

KaBoom!, a national nonprofit, offers free instruction kits that communities can use to conduct what it calls KaBoom! Play Days from Sept. 19 to 27. These events will include playing and playground construction or cleanup projects.

Organizers of a play day can also compete for grants from a charity of the National Football League, NFL Play 60, which plans to award two $10,000 grants and five $1,000 grants. The $10,000 Playspace Improvement grants will be awarded to the top two vote-getters in a Best Play Day competition for events that have included a playground improvement or construction project.

The $1,000 grants will be for play days that did not complete a spruce-up project but were impressive in another way, maybe because they drew a big crowd or played really funny games.

Grant applications will be online Sept. 28 at kaboom.org/playday. Applications will be accepted through Oct. 23.