Woman tackles climb to support health for Indians

Rhonda Neufang used to step on a scale backwards. During doctor visits, she couldn’t stand to see how much she weighed.

At her heaviest, the Monroe woman may have tipped the scale at more than 193 pounds. She’s not sure. After her weight hit 193, she said, “I didn’t look.”

That was sev

eral years ago. Between then and now, Neufang has lost about 75 pounds. That’s well over half her current weight of 119.

There’s no counting all she gained in her transformation, achieved with tough daily workouts, running and smarter food choices.

Now 32, she shares her happier outloo

k and healthier life with her three children, ages 12, 9 and 7. Fitness success was a confidence builder that helped Neufang go after a new career.

A member of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, Neufang recently completed tribal probation academy training to become a community corrections officer. The training is offered through the Fox Valley Technical College at the Washington State Patrol Academy in Shelton. Once a receptionist in the tribe’s health clinics, she was recruited for the tribal corrections officer job.

Neufang now has her eyes on a new goal — literally the biggest thing on the horizon. Over Labor Day weekend, she hopes to climb 14,410-foot Mount Rainier. She’ll be part of an eight-member group on a three-day excursion with guides from Alpine Ascents International.

It’s more than a personal milestone. Neufang planned the climb to raise money for a three-day camp, called Snoqualmie Fit Camp, for school-age tribal children next summer.

“My goal is to teach kids that fitness is worth it,” said Neufang, who wants to share the food and exercise know-how she didn’t learn as a child.

Spurred by personal trainer Marga White, who climbed Rainier in 2009, Neufang has been training for months. She runs daily, lifts weights, and wears a heavy backpack on a treadmill.

It wasn’t until July 31, though, that Neufang and her fiance, Frank Benish, went to Rainier for her first hike on the mountain. Neufang said she focused on “one foot at a time” as she adjusted to limited visibility and snow crunching under her feet.

“Coming down, the sun had burned off a little bit of the clouds. I could see the valley and mountains across from me, and couldn’t believe the beauty,” she said.

After Rainier, she’ll try to raise money by taking part in running events and collecting donations. Fitness camp details and a location aren’t set, but Neufang has the approval of her tribe.

“This is something she’s been striving for. She’s been training for a good sixth months,” said Shelley Burch, chairwoman of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe. “She hits the gym all the time, practicing on a treadmill with a 40-pound backpack.”

Burch said that as a clinic receptionist, Neufang saw many children from the tribe with medical issues related to being overweight and diabetes. The tribal chairwoman expects next summer’s camp to serve between 30 and 50 children, not only from the tribe but from the Snoqualmie region. “We want to continue that yearly,” Burch said.

Neufang said that White, her trainer, has volunteered to help at the camp. The tribe also may invite someone from the Seattle Seahawks or Sounders. “We’ll talk about sportsmanship, and that losing weight is not just about looking good,” she said.

A diabetes educator, a child psychologist, and police may be asked to talk about physical and mental health, and the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

It’s a laudable effort. America’s children are heavier than ever, and for tribal young people the obesity problem is even more acute. According to the National Indian Health Board, which cited 2009 statistics from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 31 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native 4-year-olds are obese, a rate higher than any other racial or ethnic group studied.

This spring, first lady Michelle Obama’s fitness initiative was expanded with Let’s Move! in Indian Country. That campaign was launched with a May 25 event at the Menominee Nation in Keshena, Wis.

Neufang knows what can happen with education and effort. At 27, she said she was borderline diabetic. She took medication for high blood pressure. “I used to get winded walking to my mailbox,” she said.

At just over 5-foot-2 and 119 pounds, running up to six miles, and about to try a Mount Rainier climb, she shares a few inspiring words: “If I can do it, anyone can do it.”

Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460; muhlstein@heraldnet.com.

Benefit climb

Rhonda Neufang, a Snoqualmie tribal member, plans to climb Mount Rainier over Labor Day weekend to raise money for Snoqualmie Fit Camp next summer.

The goal is to foster fitness among Snoqualmie Indian Tribe children.

For information or to donate, call Rodger Bennett, financial officer of the tribe, 425-888-6551 ext.109 , or mail to: Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, 8130 Railroad Ave. SE, P.O. Box 969, Snoqualmie, WA 98065.