Fitness show comes to Essex

WINDSOR ON; Anne Campeau prepares with her trainer Ken Dennison  for her appearance on internet fitness show Radical Body Transformation. Filming for the show on the right is Murray Urquhart and Adam Pedersen. 

A local woman is looking to get in shape by appearing on the internet fitness show Radical Body Transformation.

The new fitness show has been created by the makers of the film Generation Iron. The show, Radical Body Transformation, follows contestants and their chosen trainers in an attempt to get them into their best shape possible. The contestants on the program range from people who look to get into shape and people who have previously entered body building competitions and want to place higher in their competitions.

Filming for the show began in December starting in Winnipeg and Halifax. On Feb. 23, the show made a stop in the town of Essex to film at Onyx Gym.  Anne Campeau, 47, is the local contestant appearing on the show with her trainer Ken Dennison. Campeau weighs 255 pounds and has type-two adult diabetes.

Campeau currently works as a police dispatcher in Windsor and said up until 2008, she weighed 180 pounds. In April of 2008, Campeau’s parents died a week apart which caused her to turn to food in order to cope with the loss. Campeau said she was not happy with her health and when she heard about the show decided she was ready to make a change.

“I decided when I found out the about program to send an email to the producers James Hergott and Murray Urquhart to see if I would fit into their show. I told them my background story and they said they’d love to have me on the show so I started training,” said Campeau.

Dennison is also the owner of Onyx Gym. He has worked with Campeau for nearly five months and said he is looking forward to the show to help Campeau reach her goal of becoming fit.

“The opportunity to be on the show is one thing, but the opportunity to help Campeau with her long-term success is a completely different pleasure in its own,” said Dennison.

Dennison said Anne’s goal may not be reached within a month or even a year, but he is dedicated to getting her there.

Urquhart said he has seen people from all over Canada compete in the show since they began in December. Urquhart said stories like Campeau’s are the reason why he made the show in the first place.

“We like to call them hero characters… the contestants on the show inspire and motivate people because there is someone for everybody on the show, for example Anne,” said Urquhart.

Urquhart said fitness has always been a big part of his life and as well as his form of medication. Now, since he is behind the camera, Urquhart said it gives him an opportunity to help tell stories and motivate viewers to be involved in fitness through watching the show.

Anne’s progress on the show later this year can be tracked online at generationiron.com.