Governor Christie[1] , who has openly struggled with his weight and underwent surgery earlier this year, visited Asbury Park Middle School Monday to open a new fitness center and encourage students to stay healthy.
The $100,000 “Live Positively Fitness Center,” was made possible through a partnership with the National Foundation of Governors’ Fitness Councils and Coca-Cola. The council also donated fitness centers to Leonard V. Moore Middle School in Roselle and Ezra L. Nolan Middle School No. 40 in Jersey City.
Christie, a Republican running for re-election who is seen by many as a potential presidential candidate in 2016, said he planned to push for more such facilities in New Jersey, and also said he would support the effort nationally.
“I’ll be a voice supporting doing this across the country in a bigger and broader way,” he said.
The foundation donated 11 fitness centers last year and plans to open 15 this year as part of a five-year campaign to open 100 facilities in schools around the country.
Christie cut the ribbon on the new Asbury Park fitness room in the middle school along with Jake Steinfeld, founder of Body by Jake and chairman of the foundation, and Steve Cahillane, president of Coca-Cola Americas.
“It’s going to go a long way toward promoting a health life style for everybody that comes in contact with this school and I really strongly believe that providing this type of program for kids is a positive step toward improving not only your health, but as Jake said, this is about your education too,” the governor said.
Christie has struggled with his weight for years. He has said he regularly works with a trainer and in February he underwent weight loss surgery. The governor doesn’t talk about whether or not the surgery has been successful, but has said he faces the same struggles as many other residents who are trying to lose weight and be healthier.
The only reference he made to his own fitness during Monday’s event was when he told students that working out can make them feel better.
“I know that the mornings I work out, I’m much better than I am the mornings that I don’t,” he said as the sound dropped out on the microphone he was using.
“Now I had nothing to do with the sound going out, but I will tell you that I didn’t work out this morning and that may be why it happened,” he added drawing a few laughs from the students and teachers gathered for the event.
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