John Novak works out at the fitness room at Hersey High School
John Novak, a 46-year-old assistant principal at Hersey High School, had a horse running in the first Fittest Loser contest in 2009. A former student, Eric Ronzio, was in the first competition.
“He told me it was extremely tough, but well worth it,’’ Novak said. “He said it had made a definite impact on him. He kept a lot of the weight off and was very happy he did it.”
Novak is 5-11 and weighs 324 pounds. He is 46 years old and very active, but only in a “I have a lot of things to do and places to go” kind of way. It causes him to eat on the run almost daily.
“That is a major problem for me,’’ Novak said. “I will eat anything that is close and quick. Usually I am throwing something down in the car as I am going to the next place.”
His weight ballooned in college and has never disappeared. Before entering the contest, his athletic endeavors were limited to playing basketball twice a week.
“We call it ‘old man basketball’,’’ Novak said. “It’s not real competitive.”
Novak said he has the support of his wife, who is a nurse and works at Prospect High School, and his two teenage sons. He said they plan to change their diets “a little’’ in support of dad.
But Novak also has an entire school watching what he is up to.
“I’m OK with that,’’ he said. “It gives me a little more motivation.
“I deal with a lot of athletes in activities and we tell them ‘You do the best you can and whatever happens, happens.’ I think that is going to be my philosophy. I’m going to try to put 100 percent into this and whatever happens, happens. It is a contest, but it is more of a contest within yourself.”