Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

RESOLUTE BAY (Nov 08/99) - Lazy. In a word, that's how teacher Neil Christopher described Celina Kalluk's state of mind -- and body -- just a few short months ago.

"There was one woman who couldn't do one pushup on her toes," said Christopher, using the results of a former fitness test to illustrate his point.

But, just a few months later, that opinion is history and Kalluk has become a lean, mean weight-lifting machine who can do 22 pushups in under a minute.

"Really lazy? Yes, that's me. But now, it's pretty cool. I feel more confident about my strength and it makes me feel like I have more energy and more power," said Kalluk.

Participating in the for-credit weight-lifting program organized and designed by Christopher to boost the strength and health of his students at Qarmartalik school, Kalluk said her entire outlook and health have changed since the summer.

"I feel much better. I feel like taking care of myself and like taking care of my health. I've also changed my eating and sleeping habits. I'm just 20, but I felt like I was 40," said Kalluk, attributing the start of her downfall to the birth of her daughter four years ago.

Those words are like music to Christopher's ears and all the reassurance he needs to understand that he made the right move in expanding the informal weight-training program he'd been running out of his own home.

Starting two years ago with a few of the more hard-core bodybuilders in town, Christopher said he realized he needed to boost the program so that more students could participate. He also wanted to ensure that it would continue if he decided to move out of Resolute Bay.

He approached the local hotels with his plan and after setting up a schedule that would allow South Camp Inn guests to share the weight room with the students, the hotel bought the work-out equipment.

"They jumped on it and basically said you price everything out and figure out what you need and come back."

Christopher said they wanted to go easy until they could judge the success of the program, but in looking at the progress his students have made, the $3,000 investment was worthwhile.

"In the senior high school class, everyone except for one person, and he can almost do it, can bench press over 200 pounds. That's an unbelievable feat. I've never seen it anywhere in the south," said Christopher.

There's less complaining and moaning about other exercise in gym class now, fewer breaks during physical games are taken and the students are less tired in their other classes.

Steven Nungaq is one of those students.

"My maximum bench press is 230 pounds. It was 150 before," said Nungaq, 19, a participant since the early days at Christopher's house.

"It makes me feel good, I have better self-esteem and I get compliments now. That makes me feel good."

Ditto, said Mark Amarualik, 19.

"It doesn't make me feel like the top of the world or anything, but it gets me motivated and my body structure is better," said Amarualik.

He also said he'd learned a great deal about nutrition, an aspect of the program Christopher said he'd put a lot of emphasis on.

"They're thinking about what they're eating and what they're putting into their bodies."

Sixteen-year-old Pam Kalluk said she too was happy with her body and more comfortable with it, but above all, she liked that it gave her the opportunity to work-out in a women-only space.

"When it's males and females, it makes me kind of shy. I'm more open with females," said Kalluk.

Christopher said the decision to keep the classes segregated was a conscious one for the reasons expressed by Kalluk. He further added that he'd gotten feedback on the camaraderie it had inspired.

"The women's night is a very tight, supportive group. They didn't have a chance to get together as a group in one gathering place. They were usually bumped out. Now they talk about how they enjoy getting together and talking and spotting each other and going through their workout."

As for Babah Kalluk, nobody is kicking sand in his face these days.

"I'm pretty buff. Most of the people in Resolute Bay are pretty buff because there's nothing else to do. We go to weight-lifting instead of getting into crime or something."