Food vendors and carnival rides were no competition for this year's Health Champion Award winners, who got the full attention of Gov. Sam Brownback at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson, Sept. 14.

"I'm proud to recognize the 2011 Health Champions," said Gov. Brownback. "This year's winners have put forth an exceptional effort to model, encourage and promote fitness in Kansas."

Champions are selected from volunteers, schools, communities, employers, media organizations and policy makers who go beyond what is expected in their normal job or organizational responsibilities.

The awards are presented by the Kansas Governor's Council on Fitness. The council advises the governor and others on ways to enhance the health of all Kansans through promotion of physical activity, good dietary choices and prevention of tobacco use.

Efforts in nutrition and physical activity have taken on a renewed sense of importance in recent years, as Kansas - like much of the nation - deals with troubling health trends.

"Two out of three Kansas adults are overweight or obese, and one in four of our youth are overweight or obese," said Steve Coen, president and CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation and chair of the Kansas Governor's Council on Fitness. "The 2011 Health Champions have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to improving health and fitness in Kansas. We can all learn from their example."

The Group Health Champion Award went to Fowler Elementary School in Meade County. Fowler Elementary has implemented policies and programs to support and promote healthy eating, physical activity and tobacco-free lifestyles not only for its 92 students, but for the entire community.

Dr. Bobbi Williams, superintendent of schools, was joined by Martha Ohnick, food service director, and Mickey Stout, physical education teacher, to accept the award.

"There's an old Ethiopian proverb that states, ‘When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion,'" said Dr. Williams. "We feel like we've done that in Fowler. We recognize that student health should not only be encouraged and modeled by staff, but also by community members."

Fowler Elementary School was the first school in Kansas to meet the Gold Award criteria for the HealthierUS School Challenge, a voluntary initiative to recognize schools participating in the National School Lunch Program that have created healthier school environments through promotion of nutrition and physical activity.

The school's lunch program now includes whole grains, four choices of fruits and vegetables at every meal, low-fat and fat-free milk options and fat-free desserts.

Students are provided more than 150 minutes of physical education classes each week and the opportunity for one 15-minute recess each day. The school started a walking club, and Fowler Elementary staff will participate in the Walk Kansas Challenge this year.

Although it focuses on promoting student health, Fowler Elementary also plays a crucial role in combating poor nutrition and physical inactivity in the broader community.

The Individual Health Champion Award recipient was Richard Schodorf, president of Sunflower Title in Wichita. He was instrumental in developing 11 themed walking trails in Sedgwick County, totalling nearly 20 miles. Each path was named for the topic it highlights: Art, Wichita Historical, Exploration, African American, American Indian, Tallgrass Film Festival, People of Kansas, Kansas Poets, Kansas Sports, Magic and Sesquicentennial Trails.

Schodorf was inspired after reading in Prevention magazine that Wichita was one of the least walkable communities in the nation. Not only did he look at what he could do to change his own fitness, he decided to help the city create more walkable and inviting spaces that give people a reason to get moving.

"We based the themes on what we DO have, not what we don't have," said Schodorf. "While Kansas may not have mountains or the ocean, we have amazing people. The themes focus on their accomplishments."

The lasting impact of the walking trails is that Schodorf has assisted in creating a culture of wellness in Wichita and nearby Haysville. Maps are available at sunflowertitle.com.

Commitments to health and wellness like those shown by Fowler Elementary and Richard Schodorf provide examples of the difference organizations and individuals can make in improving the health of all Kansans. To find out more about the Kansas Governor's Council on Fitness and its programs to promote fitness in the state, please visit kansasfitness.org.