Brian Corrigan hates the nickname "Snack Bar."
As coach of his daughter’s travel softball team, Brian Corrigan got stuck with a less-than-flattering nickname — “Snack Bar.”
“One of the managers for the team said to me, ‘Every place we go, I see you at the snack bar,” says the systems engineering manager from Carol Stream. “Really? Do I want to be remembered as ‘Snack Bar?’ It’s time for a new nickname.”
The 44-year-old Corrigan, at 5 feet, 9 inches and 275 pounds, is ready for a lifestyle change. A Navy veteran, Corrigan and his Army nurse wife were once “gym rats,” he says, and he played every sport in high school. In the Navy, he was into bodybuilding and carefully watched what he ate. Then life happened.
The weight crept on slowly over the years, thanks to too much fast food and Guinness — and not enough discipline. “I’ve always found a reason or excuse to blame work or the kids’ sporting activities,” he says. “It’s my fault. There’s no pushing the responsibility. I’ve been a knucklehead.”
This competition, he says, will help him to finally “do what’s right.” And set a positive example for his children. His college-age daughter is, like him, a natural athlete with a muscular build — and poor eating habits. And his high-school son, a football player, has always had a bigger build. Corrigan says he hopes his participation will encourage both to eat better. “I want to demonstrate willpower, the results from managing nutrition and working out,” he says.
As for himself, he’d love to once again participate in favorite activities, like skiing, with his wife.
Because he was chosen as a contestant, Corrigan says he can only benefit from the education in nutrition and exercise that he’ll gain. “There is no loser in this, really. If you don’t win — so what. I got my life back,” he says, and pauses. “But I still want to win, too.”