The 4 mayors: Washam, Atkins, Knox, Aneralla

April 27. More than 1,200 Lake Norman people participated in the first-ever Mayors’ Fitness Challenge. Davidson won “Most Fit Town” honors, while Cornelius placed second; Huntersville; third; and Mooresville, fourth.

All this in the midst of a global pandemic.

The Centers for Disease Control says the majority of COVID-19-related deaths in the U.S. have occurred in individuals who had underlying conditions, but for 6 percent of COVID-19 deaths, the coronavirus was the only cause mentioned.

Huntersville Mayor John Aneralla said that statistic got him to thinking. “What can we do to get people in a competition to get in shape so we can fight this disease,” the mayor said.

The mayors of all four towns signed on, along with 1,223 citizens.

Three million total minutes later, the Fitness Challenge was completed in 12 weeks.

“The under-reported crisis that’s occurred during the pandemic is that so many of our citizens are not in shape which lead to diabetes and heart disease or both,” said Aneralla, a cyclist and swimmer.