Bride invents an exercise game to get in shape for her wedding and it now helps manage her RA

I'd like to share a story about my daughter, Vicki, and how a game she invented to get in shape for her wedding is now managing her RA.

Vicki's story -

In 1998, Vicki Sorensen, invented a fitness game to motivate her fiancé and herself - both wannabe exercisers - to exercise at least 3 days a week for the 8 weeks leading up to their big day.  Complete with points and rewards, her game worked so well that Vicki was down to a size 6 wedding dress and her fiancé lost 20 lbs.

A few years into her marriage and after the birth of her first child, Vicki received the life altering news that she had developed a severe case of RA. To control her rapid joint deterioration, Dr Schousboe, Vicki's rheumatologist, prescribed various medications including a variety of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS), steroids, and finally Enbrel, a newer class of biologic agents which Vicki administered to herself via twice-weekly injections.

Added to her health problems was the extra 60 pounds Vicki was carrying from her pregnancy.  Tipping the scales at 200 pounds, Vicki knew she had to regain control of her life.  Her RA was so debilitating, that many mornings she couldn't get out of bed, let alone find the motivation to exercise. So she dusted off her "wedding" game and played it over and over again with her friends and family.  The 60 pounds melted off.  But the biggest benefit of the regular exercise came in the form of Vicki's triumph over the RA. 

Today, eight years after her first diagnosis, Vicki is an active, healthy mother of two. She runs, does yoga and even attends kick-boxing classes.  Her rheumatologist told her that although she still tests positive for the disease, she is one of the most successful cases he has seen in his 25 plus years of practice and if she walked into his office off the street, he wouldn't know she has RA.

Vicki credits her "wedding" game for giving her the accountability and motivation she needed to keep moving even on days when the disease threatened to get her down. 

She is now on a mission to help others reap the enormous benefits of exercising.  With her mother as her business partner, she named her game The Fitness Challenge® (www.fitnesschallenge.com) and has brought it to market to help other wannabe exercisers around the world.