FitnessGram_Complete

Ready, Set, Gold! 

LAUSD FITNESSGRAM 

CHALLENGE 

WINNERS!

Student Testimony 

"During 5th grade, I was training for 

the physical fitness test with my 

classmates. We had to work on our 

strength flexibility, and endurance. 

While we were working on our 

strength, we practiced push-ups and 

sit-ups. For flexibility, we stretched 

our shoulders by doing shoulder 

rolls, cross body arm stretches, and 

reaching around our shoulders to 

touch our fingers behind our backs. 

Lunges and toe touches helped to 

stretch our legs. For endurance, we 

practiced running one mile three 

times a week which is 7 ½ laps 

around the playground. I was really 

nervous about the fitness test and I 

wasn’t excited for it either. But it was 

pretty fun because I passed. 

Doing all that hard work did pay off 

because I got an award for running 

the fastest mile. I was one of the 

best in flexibility and strength. But 

the one that impressed me was that 

I was the fastest kid at running the 

mile in the fifth grade. My teacher, 

parents, friends, and family were the 

reason why I passed because they 

were always encouraging me." 

49TH St. Elementary 

Winner: Kristian! 

Teacher Testimony 

“Kristian was chosen for the Ready, 

Set, Gold! Award because he is an 

excellent athlete who continually 

challenges himself to be better, 

stronger and faster than before. He 

has the mindset for lifelong fitness.” 

–Ann Klein (5th grade teacher)


"I feel amazing about improving 

because in the beginning of the year 

I couldn't even do 5 curl ups. Then 

when I did the curl ups for the actual 

fitness gram I did 35 curl ups! 

Another reason I feel great about 

improving is because when I did the 

pacer in the beginning of the year I 

did 15 pacer rounds, and then I did 

30 for the actual pacer which is 2 

times as much as I did in the 

beginning. The next reason why I 

feel good about doing better than 

before is because when I first knew 

about the fitness gram I thought I 

couldn't do push ups, curl ups, and 

the pacer, but eventually I did which 

makes me feel great about myself." 

Allesandro Elementary 

Winner: Ezequiel! 


"Ezequiel was chosen because he 

DOUBLED his PACER score, 

passed all his flexibility tests, and 

went from 0 to a passing number of 

pushups and from 0 to 35 curl-ups. 

His improvement was truly 

impressive, and we are very proud 

of him." 

- Mr. Fuller (5th grade teacher)


"My name is Emily H. and I am very 

proud to be the winner of the Fitness 

Gram competition for my class. I 

expected to get a high score because I 

was practicing very hard at improving 

my scores in the PACER, curl-ups, and 

push-ups. I was surprised because I 

did not think I would win the watch. I 

am so appreciative for Ms. (Candace) 

Cable coming out to our school to 

share her stories and give us 

information on the Paralympics. I 

really enjoyed the videos she shared 

because they showed me that even if 

you have a disability you can still enjoy 

playing sports and being a part of a 

team." 

Seco Museum 

Arroyo 

Magnet 

Science 

Winner: Emily! 


"The most improved student in our 

class, and the winner of the Samsung 

watch is Emily. Emily is a dedicated 

and kind young lady with tremendous 

determination and discipline. She has 

steadily improved her form, endurance 

and strength in all phases of physical 

fitness this school year. I am very 

proud to be her teacher and witness 

her growth, improvement and 

achievement. Emily truly earned the 

award and I wish her the very best in 

the future." 

- Mr. Carlos Plascencia (5th grade 

teacher)


"David is an exemplary athlete. Every 

day he strives to improve his physical 

fitness. At recess and during physical 

education he enjoys being active with 

his classmates for a friendly game of 

basketball or a relay race around the 

track. He is focused on his goal in 

physical fitness. He began months ago 

training for the FitnessGram. He knew 

that he would need to increase his 

stamina to run the mile and perform 

the other tasks. He practiced until he 

was able to succeed. David's 

determination and preserverance 

helped him to complete the 

FitnessGram with overall high scores, 

not only in his class, but for his grade 

level. This is why he was chosen as 

the overall winner of the 5th grade 

FitnessGram at Bellingham 

Elementary" 

- David's Classroom teacher 


"I am proud to have improved my 

performance. I feel that by working 

harder, I did better. I'm happy 

because I won that reward! 

I felt excited because to have the 

Paralympian at the school, I learned 

a lot from her that allowed me to 

improve" 

Bellingham Elementary 

Winner: David!

Student 

Testimony 

"I think the Ready, Set, Gold! 

program really helped me 

because of all the activities 

and tests. For example, the 

mile run helped me because 

each time we did it, I was 

focused on getting better until 

I did. Also, P. E. helped a lot. 

With all the challenges we 

did I tried harder each time." 

Brentwood Elementary 


"Amaris consistently demonstrates 

good citizenship skills. She is always 

kind, caring, and sweet. Amaris 

displays incredible ideas in class. 

She is very artistic and gets along 

well with her classmates. Amaris 

worked hard at exercising and was 

persistent during fitness lessons 

throughout the year." 

- Mr. Jeffrey Kogen (5th Grade 

Teacher) 

Winner: Amaris!

Student 

Testimony 

"Hi. My name is Ruben and I want you 

to know how I felt when I first heard 

that I won the award. I was in total 

shock. I felt proud of myself and 

happy. I tried really hard to get the 

watch and I could of never done it if 

the Olympian wasn't there. 

He inspired me and that's why I tried 

hard. I want to be an Olympian one 

day and I know its possible. Thank 

you for the opportunity to participate 

and to win such a huge reward. My 

name is Ruben and that is how I felt." 

Byrd Middle School 


"Ruben was chosen for the Samsung 

watch because he scored 

outstandingly on his FitnessGram. 

During the month of testing, he 

wanted to re-test every chance he 

could so he can better his score. I 

was happy to award his hard work. 

Thank you to RSG! and Samsung for 

providing this opportunity to us." 

- Ms. Rose Kwok (Physical Education 

Teacher) 

Winner: Ruben!


"Thank you for this wonderful Olympic program 

you have provided for my school. It has helped me 

in so many ways that I didn’t think were possible. I 

improved my time on the mile run. This was 

because I took the advice I was given by David 

Brinton, and I used it. I also was able to 

accomplish more sit-ups and push-ups than I used 

to be able to before this program. Not only has this 

program with David Brinton help me physically, but 

it has also changed how I think about myself 

mentally. I always knew that P.E was never my 

strong suit and sometimes I felt discouraged. 

David Brinton taught me about goals and helped 

me gain progress in what I needed to be better at. 

For me, this progress was a huge success and has 

changed my life. I started believing in myself and 

now I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to. I 

know by setting goals, practicing, and taking my 

challenges one step at a time, I can achieve my 

goals and make them become a reality. 

Without this program, I would have never passed 

the Fitness Gram Test. I would have never found 

the courage to say to myself, “It’s ok Cayden. 

Keep trying and don’t give up on yourself”. I am 

very grateful for this lesson that I have learned and 

I know I will keep it with me throughout my life in 

whatever I do. 

I also think that the “Ready, Set, Gold” is also good 

for the Olympians. I think that it is a good chance 

for them to not only feel like winners in their life, 

but also as champions in making a difference in 

someone life. The Olympic spirit lives on in them 

and they are passing on a wonderful gift to others. 

They teach and inspire which is worth a gold 

medal in my book any day. I know that David 

Brinton made a huge difference in my life. Not only 

did he help me, but he helped other kids at my 

school become confident and encourage them to 

go the extra mile and become stronger with their 

bodies and their minds." 


"Cayden has let nothing stop her. 

Overcoming asthma and a personal 

label of “Not Athletic,” Cayden set 

out to prove that she could be faster, 

higher and stronger. Her persistence 

and guidance from RSG has 

inspired everyone in 5th grade 

including her teachers." 

- Ms. von Buelow (5th Grade 

Teacher) 

Calabash Elementary 

Winner: Cayden


"I appreciate everything you do for us 

like ensuring the importance of fitness in 

our life. I admire that this program 

inspires children to stay healthy in 

mental and physical ways. You people 

taught me that fitness can change your 

life for the of good things forever. You 

have an intelligent process motivate kids 

to exercise like prizes you earn from it. 

Your program is changing the lives of 

children in so many ways that we should 

be so thankful that the world we live in is 

healthy and strong. 

This program can create a fire inside of 

us students that can give us a career 

and the next generation of Olympic 

athletes. Not only do you give a strong 

exercise you give us a strong mental 

mind set. A strong mind set can be a life 

changer to us. That is why we support 

and cherish this wonderful program we 

can participate today. That is why your 

program is so important to us all." 


"Xavarien is an amazing athlete 

who has been inspired by RSG! 

to set goals and to work towards 

those goals. He has strived to 

go beyond the normal 

expectations even with personal 

hurdles that he had to face at 

the beginning of the school year. 

He reaches out and helps other 

students to achieve their goals." 

Winner: Xavarien 

- Ms. von Buelow (5th Grade 

Teacher) 

Calabash Elementary


"I am proud of what I have 

accomplished this year, 

especially since P.E. isn't my 

strongest suit. I didn't expect to 

win, but winning inspired me to 

do better in the future. 

The Olympian (Barbara 

Edmonson) that came was 

amazing! She told us about her 

background and how she 

became an Olympian for track & 

Field. After that, she did a couple 

of exercises with us and would 

also play a few games. Coming 

from a person who doesn't love 

exercising, the games were 

surprisingly fun! She pushed and 

encouraged us to try our best, 

and so I became more motivated. 

Carson High School 

Winner: Kayla! 


"As I was in the process of choosing the 

one student who was the most 

deserving of the award, I thought about 

the most critical criteria that puts a 

student at a disadvantage. I determined 

that it was Body Mass Index (BMI). 

Those students with BMIs not in the 

Healthy Fitness Zone were more likely 

not to pass 5 out of the 6 FitnessGram 

categories. Of all my students passing 5 

or more of the 6 categories, Kayla S. 

had the highest BMI (28.4). She 

overcame despite the odds being 

against her." 

- Wilson Labason (P.E. Teacher)


"The program Ready, Set, Gold! is a great 

and amazing program for our school. The 

program has encourages me to push 

myself to be more active. It inspires me to 

live a more and healthy lifestyle. The 

program improves my mindset on health. I 

run fast, but the program pushes me to set 

no limits. 

Before the program, I limit myself such as 

doing push-ups. Through practices and 

exercising at school with my friends, I can 

do more push-ups than I possibly could 

imagine. Ready, Set, Gold improves my 

endurance. I pace myself now. I know I 

can run fast, but now I know I can run fast 

and long distance. I love the feelings of 

the accomplishments. 

Having Valerie Brisco at Castelar 

Elementary School is quite inspirational. I 

feel energetic thinking of a famous 

Olympian runner at the school. Valerie 

Brisco’s life was inspirational. She 

inspired me to be active. Her story 

motivates me the most. Her hard work 

through trials in her life is very 

encouraging. Furthermore, Valerie’s life 

taught me to never limit myself and that I 

could do anything if I set my heart and 

mind. Valerie Brisco helped our students 

get into shape that would last us a lifetime. 

She’s terrific!!! Because of her, I have a 

goal. My goal is to run 5 miles every day 

to improve my time as well as for my 

health." 

Castelar Elementary 

Winner: Raymond! 


"Raymond was chosen because of his 

humble determination to become better. 

Raymond started out running his mile at a 

good speed, better than most of the other 

kids. He was never satisfied with the times 

he got. He felt that there was always 

something he could do to make his mile 

times better. Every day he pushed and 

pushed himself and the improvement and 

determination began to show. His mile time 

is now under seven minutes which is 

outstanding compared to his peers. And 

even though he is now the fastest kid, he is 

very humble about his success and 

encourages his classmates to work just as 

hard as he did. He is a very good leader, 

and a perfect role model for other kids who 

wish to be better." 

- Mrs. Quach (5th Grade Teacher)


“I took in all the advice that 

(Paralympian) Karen Norris gave 

me about goal setting and 

pacing. I was not a runner before 

this and learned how to pace 

myself after I realized that at the 

initial pretest, I started off too fast 

and lost my steam early on. I 

began to practice at home like 

Ms. Norris said how practicing 

just like in everything in life will 

make you better. Anything I want 

to achieve, I know I can apply 

the lessons that I learned by 

following the Ready, Set Gold! 

philosophy.” 

Lane 

Castlebay 

Elementary 

Winner: Vicky! 


“Vicky was chosen because the 5th 

grade classes did a pretest on the 

mile run and administered the test in 

Feb/March. She was the student with 

the most improved time (nearly 6 

minutes!) from her pretest to the final 

test. She has shown great 

enthusiasm and tremendous effort.” 

- Mrs. Milan (5th Grade Teacher)


"Alex was chosen as the winner for 

most improved on the fitness test. 

Alex was chosen because he 

simply never gave up. At the 

beginning of the year he practiced 

push-ups and curl-ups but could 

not perform using proper form. 

Every class session where 

students practiced the fitnessgram 

tests, Alex was very motivational to 

himself and other students in his 

class. He kept practicing until his 

form was better and eventually he 

was able to complete 18 push ups 

and 24 curl ups! What is most 

impressive is that Alex improved 

his mile time by 2 minutes! He ran 

his first mile at 12:27 and his 

official fitnessgram mile time was 

10:04! In addition, Alex also 

completed 46 pacers. Alex really 

committed and worked hard to 

reach his fitness goals. Alex was 

also one of the few students who 

passed all 6 components of the 

fitness test. He is a true testament 

of what it means to set a goal, work 

hard, and receive results." 


"Ms. B was really helpful to me to help 

me reach my fitness goals. Ms. B never 

gave up on me and always was nice 

and helped me complete all the physical 

fitness tests. Meeting with a person from 

the Olympics was very cool. It makes 

me feel I can do anything if I try." 

Arts & 

Crenshaw 

High 

Technology 

Winner: Alexander! 

- Ms. Batiste (9th Grade Teacher)


"In the beginning of the school year I 

was not really going outside to exercise. 

However, occasionally I would go 

outside if I had time after finishing my 

homework, and sometimes my dad and I 

would wakeup early on Saturdays to do 

to the park to work on basketball drills. 

After doing our fifth challenge came up, I 

began to exercise every day. At first I 

was focused on winning the challenge, 

but later I started to see how I was 

improving in basketball. The challenge 

pushed me to work hard and I continued 

to exercise daily even though the 

challenge was over. Before the 

challenge and having the Olympian I 

would always wanted someone to go 

outside with me. Now I enjoy being 

physically active because I know it’s 

helping me with basketball and my 

health. 

Having an Olympian on campus was a 

great way to encourage kids to exercise. 

Kids are more focused, and try harder 

when a professional is teaching them. I 

felt that I had to prove to myself and all 

the kids at school, that I was a great 

athlete. Listening to her (Nicole 

Branagh's) story motivated me to not 

only work hard in school, but even in 

sports because one day maybe I could 

make it to the Olympics." 

Denker Elementary 

Winner: Ramon! 


"Ramon exercised on a regular 

basis, his response to the above 

questions, improving from the 

beginning of the year, passing all 

areas in the Fitness Gram plus he 

demonstrates good sportsmanship 

are the reasons why we selected him 

out of approximately 120 5th grade 

students." 

- Mrs. Morgan (5th grade teacher)


"Idania is the winner of the Samsung 

watch for a few reasons, and although 

we did not pre-test our 5th grade 

students, she demonstrated a 

willingness to improve her scores for 

each fitness test.. First of all, Idania 

showed great enthusiasm, and willing to 

learn each test outside of class to reach 

her goals. She continuously made the 

effort to reach her goals by watching the 

fitnessgram videos ahead of time to 

learn the proper protocols. Additionally, 

Idania showed a commitment to practice 

the tests in order to improve her scores. 

She would ask me what test was going 

to be given next, and try to perfect the 

tests by learning about it, so that she 

could do more. Although, Idania 

struggled with the pushups she did not 

give up. She made sure she had the 

correct form by preparing and bettering 

herself to set future goals. 

During parent conferences Idania asked 

me “who won the watch?” I said, “Go get 

the watch.” She paused and stared at 

me in disbelief. I said it again, and at 

that point she realized I was not kidding, 

and she won the watch. It was an 

exciting moment as her mother was 

present at well." 

- Mr. Corona (5th Grade Teacher) 

Learning Center 

Elizabeth 

Elementary 

Winner: Idania! 


"I was very happy when Mr. Corona told 

me in parent conference "Go ask Mrs. 

Alvarez to give you the watch." I stared at 

him. He went with me to get the watch and 

my mom saw. When I opened it, I wanted 

to cry of happiness when I saw it. I was 

very happy and I saw my mom almost 

wanting to cry. I remember when a women 

named Tasha Danvers helped us before 

the fitness test. I followed her instructions 

and I kept practicing at home, trying my 

best to do what I have to do for the fitness 

test. The hardest test I had to do was the 

push-ups. I practice a lot. I am very glad 

that I won the watch!"


"Dylan (7th grade) has shown a 

significant improvement on his 

Fitnessgram scores. He went from 

passing 2 out of 6 to an increase of 

passing 4 out of 6 in the Healthy 

Fitness Zone this school year. Dylan 

has demonstrated a great attitude on 

improving his own health by setting 

goals, working hard, and making 

improvements towards his fitness 

goals, since the Fitnessgram pretesting 

in September 2016. 

Additionally Dylan has demonstrated 

personal responsibility in Mrs. Berni- 

Ramos PE class, as he dresses every 

day for PE, and works well with his 

peers. He has demonstrated 

excellent character, work habits, and 

cooperation. Dylan also gives his best 

effort in all the physical activities, and 

strives to be a positive contributor to 

the class." 

- Mrs. Berni-Ramos 


" I felt good when Mrs. Berni told me 

that I improved my fitness scores. I 

went from passing two test in 

September 2016 to passing 4 of the 

test in March 2017 and this motivates 

me to try to pass at least 5 tests to 

reach the healthy fitness zone by 

next school year. 

Learning Center 

Elizabeth 

School 

Middle 

Winner: Dylan! 

Having an Olympian at ELC has 

really motivated me to try harder in 

the fitness test. I like that our 

Olympian gives me ideas on how to 

improve my fitness goals."


"My name is Barbara Ele, Special 

Education teacher at Emelita 

Academy Charter. I am writing to let 

you know how much I appreciate you, 

RSG! and Katherine Starr for all the 

hard work that you've been doing for 

the kids. The children enjoy the 

activities and are benefiting from the 

program tremendously. I noted that 

my children have improved their 

strength, coordination, flexibility, 

speed, and attitude. They have 

realized that exercise makes a person 

healthy not only physically, but also 

mentally, socially, and emotionally. 

Additionally, the program has 

reinforced the concept of 

perserverance and respect. They 

have learned to transfer those 

important values from the field into the 

classroom when they are working on 

math, language arts, science, and 

social studies. One of my students 

won the watch and she is one of the 

excellent "products" of RSG! I am 

proud of her and of Emelita 5th grade 

students. Thank you so much!" 

- Ms. Barbara Ele (Special Education 

Teacher) 

Emelita Academy Charter 

Winner: Samantha! 


"Dear Ms. Katherine Starr, 

Thank you so much for the watch, I 

love it. When you come to the 

school, I was so happy because you 

were going to teach us P.E. I love 

running and the last day of P.E. was 

fun, and the winning the watch was 

fun. When they pulled out the name 

Samantha I thought it was the other 

Samantha, but it was Samantha B. 

Me! Thank you Ms. Katherine Starr!"


"Diego was selected to receive the 

Samsung watch because he has worked 

really hard throughout the entire school 

year. Diego has successfully maintain 

above proficient academic marks since 

the beginning of the school year. He is 

also a very active young man who enjoys 

all physical activities. He has been a 

great support to his classmates when 

they were preparing for the physical 

fitness test. Not only does Diego enjoy 

outdoor sports, he is also one of our 14 

students who represent our school in 

district wide dance competition. As you 

can see, Diego is an excellent example 

to all his classmates. He is a hard worker 

and a team player. 

Thank you so much for all your support 

and thank you to Samsumg for 

graciously gifting our students with an 

amazing gift!" 

Estrella Elementary 

Winner: Diego 


"Dear (Olympian) Ms. Holly, 

Thank you for teaching us volleyball 

and I really liked your class. The 

program has helped me learn how to 

play volleyball correctly. I really wish 

you to have good luck on all of your 

games that will be coming up. Once 

again, thank you for everything."


"I am writing this short note in 

recognition of my fifth grade student, 

Miracle. Miracle is a beautiful, warmhearted, 

earnest young lady. Although 

she is overweight, she remains active 

and always tries her best during P.E. 

activities. I asked her if she believed 

she had made improvements this year 

in P.E. She said she was doing better 

than when she was in fourth grade, 

had improved in push-ups, and that 

she enjoyed participating in the P.E. 

activities. 

Miracle was very happy to receive the 

Samsung watch, and with effort from 

her, her father, and an AT&T 

representative, she is now proudly 

wearing her well-functioning watch 

everyday to school. 

Thank you Ready, Set, Gold! and 

thank you Samsung Sponsors for the 

opportunity to make a deserving 

young lady smile." 


"During P.E. I had a good time. I 

also (noticed) that I did more than 

last year. I did more push ups and I 

ran more so that is an upgrade. 

Thanks for the Samsung Gear. I 

haven't got it to work yet, but I will 

find out how it works." 

- Angela Karlan (5th Grade Teacher) 

Harbor City Elementary 

Winner: Miracle!


My name is Doncè L. and I am 

currently a 5th grader. Throughout 

my life I've always been a leader. 

Having a little brother made it very 

easy for me to lead. Having a little 

brother has also taught me how to 

motivate others to be the best they 

can be. Ready Set Gold gave me that 

opportunity by allowing me to set 

examples for my classmates. I have a 

couple of things I want to thank you 

guys for. First, thank you for the Fitbit 

watch. I'm sure it will be a huge asset 

to me as I move forward with 

basketball, football, and track. 

Secondly, thank you for preparing my 

teachers will the equipment that 

helped us throughout the year. 

Lastly, thank you for providing my 

classmates and I the opportunity to 

perform at a high level that will help 

us live a healthy life." 

Innovation 

ICEF 

Doncè! 

Winner: 


"This year we had multiple candidates who 

I believe could've won this prize but one 

stood out to me the most. He is a 5th 

grader named Doncè L. He has really been 

a class act all year long. He has been a 

role model to the younger students on 

campus and also the students in his grade. 

On many occasions, he has helped 

someone overcome an obstacle they were 

facing. On many occasions, he has been a 

leader. He is a three star athlete who 

excels in everything, including his school 

work. As I previously stated, there were 

multiple scholars who could've won but 

based on his performance and leadership 

inside and outside of the classroom I 

believe he deserves it." 

- Mr. Anderson (5th Grade Teacher)


"This is Carolina. She was the 

student chosen at Kingsley 

Elementary for being the most 

improved athlete in 5th grade. She 

has improved on her motivation in 

the arena of physical education by 

leaps and bounds this year. She is 

one of the fastest relay runners in 

my class as well! Caro loves it when 

our Paralympian, Katy Sullivan visits 

our school. Caro can show off her 

awesome skills and ask Katy 

questions regarding being an athlete 

and perseverance. Thank you, RSG 

and Samsung for this generous 

incentive." 

- Mr. Storhaug (5th Grade Teacher) 

Kingsley Elementary 

Winner: Carolina! 


"Dear Ready, Set, Gold 

Thank you for the watch! Katy 

Sullivan was a good leader to show 

me about fitness and being an 

Olympian. I learned how to be a 

good athlete and to try hard at 

whatever I do. I liked Katy’s visits to 

our school and to learn new things 

about running and being healthy. 

Thanks again for the gift and I will 

use it to be fit for a long time."


"The reason I like sports is because 

you can earn lot's of money, and you 

could be the first one in your family or 

your hometown to become famous. I 

also like sports because if you start 

young, you could become a personal 

trainer or have D1 colleges look at 

you when your only in the 6th grade. 

What sports means to me is 

happiness, because you might 

probably see a kid wearing your 

shoes or your jersey. Coach O' quinn 

is an excellent coach/ P.E. teacher 

because he supports our school and 

rewards our school with fun activities 

like; a national football camp, a 

Clippers game, and a whole month to 

get wet at the end of the year." 

KIPP Scholar Elementary 


"I have seen Jason grow 

throughout the year to become a 

positive role model to other 

students throughout class. He is 

deserving of the award. He had the 

best scores of any of his student in 

every physical fitness test. He also 

had the best sportsmanship of any 

of the students." 

- Coach O' Quinn 

Winner: Jason!


"Hi my name is Jaison, I'm a 7th grade student 

at KIPP Sol Academy. I'm writing this to say 

that I really appreciate the "Ready, Set,Gold!" 

program and I'm very thankful that Ms. Etem 

(Patricia Etem) comes out to our school to help 

us. Every time Ms. Eterm comes out she 

inspires me and lets me know anything is 

possible if you set a goal for yourself. She 

encourages me to continue getting better with 

my push-ups even when I thought I couldn't 

continue doing them. She works out with us 

and by our side motivating us to keep working 

hard. She talks to us and motivates us with her 

speeches, and they inspire me to work hard so 

I can be successful with my FitnessGram. 

I want to thank Ms. Etem for sharing lots of 

things with us. She taught us the importance of 

eating healthy. She focused on our form with 

every type of exercise that we were doing. She 

answered all of our questions. She taught us 

how to control our breathing while running. I'm 

thankful for her, she was one of our biggest 

inspirations for our school! 

If "Ready,Set,Gold!" didn't work with us then 

Ms. Etem would not be able to come to our 

school and our school would miss out on the 

amazing inspiration and encouragement. We 

really appreciate having the privilege to have 

her because she's volunteering her time and 

she could be doing other things. This program 

has been super helpful and I'm happy that it 

encourages me to do better with my 

FitnessGram. We appreciate having our time 

with Ms. Etem. There's not enough words to 

say how grateful we are...Thank you "Ready, 

Set,Gold!" 

KIPP Sol Academy 

Winner: Jaison! 


"Working with Jaison this year has been a 

pleasure. In all the years I've been at Sol, 

Jaison has undoubtedly been one of the 

students who has continuously embodied 

hard work and perseverance. The greatest 

thing about Jaison is his work ethic which is 

completely fueled by his intrinsic motivation. 

He is always pushing himself to work hard 

and become better regardless of whether he 

is being observed by a teacher or not. All of 

his hard work and efforts have helped him 

make and maintain strong results within his 

Fitnessgram....Jaison rocked all of his 

components this year, and he did it with that 

unwavering smile." 

- Mr. Cesar Alfaro (7th Grade Teacher)


"Katy Sullivan and Ready Set Go have really 

showed me that physical fitness is more than 

having fun and playing your favorite sport. 

It’s about you knowing that when you grow 

up it’s important to have a healthy lifestyle. 

When I grow up I want to be fit and healthy 

like Katy. 

When I first saw Katy she told me that she 

was born without the lower halves of her legs. 

So that meant she used prosthetics most of 

her life and still she did things she really 

wanted to do. That made me think even 

though she had a disability she didn’t let 

anybody tell her she couldn’t do the things 

normal kids could do, and that inspired me to 

dream big! When she came to my school she 

taught us how to run properly, how to do curl 

ups and pushups. It was hard at first but after 

I tried, and tried, and tried again, I actually did 

those exercises pretty well. 

A few weeks later my class had to practice for 

the 1 mile run that we were going to take 

almost at the end of the year. When I was 

running at first it was easy but it got a little 

harder. I noticed that I wasn’t breathing 

properly, and I wasn’t doing what Katy said to 

do. After I got the hang of it and I completed 

the mile run. Katy’s advice helped me do well 

on the practice run and hopefully on the real 

one too. 

Winner: Elizabeth! 


"She is a hardworking student. 

She plays fairly with everyone 

and has a great time. She does 

her best in everything and took 

initiative in PE and in practicing 

for the fitness test." 

Korenstein Elementary 

I am very thankful for Ready, Set Go! 

Because if it wasn’t for them Katy would have 

never come to our school. I feel like if I do 

well on the test I will definitely thank Katy for 

it. I do know that I have improved since Katy 

has been here. I will do my best on that test!" 

- Elizabeth's 5th Grade Teacher


"Well, in my opinion Katy 

Sullivan and Ready, Set, Gold 

had make an impact on my 

physical fitness abilities, so I 

can do well on the fitness test. 

With Katy Sullivan right by 

our side trying to make us 

work hard to do good on the 

test, I feel that I am stronger, 

faster and a lot more flexible 

then I was before. I believe 

that Katy was just not trying to 

make us ready for the test but 

trying to make us believe in 

ourselves and in what we can 

do. Katy was born with no 

legs, but that didn’t stop her 

from doing what she wanted 

to do. 

That’s how Katy Sullivan and 

Ready, Set, Gold make an 

impact on me and my physical 

fitness abilities." 

Korenstein Elementary 

Winner: Sophia! 


"She is a great athlete and has 

improved a lot in her athletic 

abilities, including running. She 

tried really hard to get ready for 

the fitness test and showed good 

sportsmanship." 

- Sophia's 5th Grade Teacher


"Thank you for the Samsung 

watch. All the events have helped 

me improve and motivate myself 

because P.E. lets me get good 

times on runs and test. Also Ready 

Set Gold motivated me because 

Olympic athletes come and 

influence us on why and how we 

should workout. The last thing that 

helps me is all the sports, such as 

basketball and football since it 

involves a lot of running and 

exercises. Thank you for giving me 

this chance to improve." 

Leadership High School 

LA 

Angel! 

Winner: 


"Angel has shown great strides 

throughout the 2016-2017. This has 

been evident in his FitnessGram scores. 

Angel has committed to participating in 

our school's football and basketball 

teams. During this time, he has 

improved his attitude, overall body 

composition, physical strength, and 

cardiovascular endurance. This is 

evident in his daily physical education 

performance." 

- Mr. Demers


"Dear Mr. Giddeon, 

Thank you for the Samsung Gear S. 

I really appreciate it. Also, thank you 

for coming to our school to teach us 

how to have fun while doing 

exercises. You also taught me that I 

can do exercises inside when it's 

raining. My favorite part when you 

came to teach was the warm ups 

that we did before we play. I'm happy 

that there are different sports 

besides the common sports we play 

today. You taught me how to work as 

a team. Thanks for telling us how the 

Olympians work to get to the top. I 

might be an Olympian. Thank you for 

the watch and taking your time to 

come to our school to do exercises 

with us. Have a nice summer." 

Leadership 

LA 

School 

Middle 


"This student was selected because she 

was focused during Giddeon's visits and 

she also participated in the activities with a 

smile. She had the most improved 

Fitnessgram Test results. This student is a 

great example of a LALA student that 

follows our school norms on a daily basis. 

1. Be Positive 2. Give your best effort. 3. 

Show Respect. This student was also 

helpful to her fellow classmates with 

explaining and or demonstrating the new 

exercises she learned from Giddeon 

Massie." 

Winner: Jaimi! 

- Mr. Villanueva (P.E. Teacher)


"As a 7th grader who took the fitness 

test, I would say it's not the easiest 

thing to accomplish. You have to give 

it all your effort and try your very best. 

I found that the curl ups were the 

easiest and my favorite part of the 

testing. The mile was the hardest part 

for me. The trunk lift tested my 

flexibility. The push ups were also one 

of the easier things for me to do, so I 

felt I did really good. The arm 

stretches tested my coordination. 

Having Tai Babilonia talk about her 

journey to success was inspiring to 

me. She showed me that if you try 

your best and never give up you can 

achieve your goal. The fitness test is 

important because it makes us be 

active and makes us try our best. 

During the fitness test I just had to 

remember to do the best I could." 

Mulholland Middle School 

Winner: Rosalia! 


"Rosalia is one of my finest and highly 

motivated Physical Education students at 

Mulholland Middle School. She's not only 

a very focused, hardworking and 

determined student, but also has 

excellent leadership skills, while 

displaying a very humble attitude. She 

has a perfect attendance record, plus 

high marks in work habits and 

cooperation. Her FitnessGram either met 

or exceeded the Healthy Fitness Zone 

this past testing term of Winter 2017. And 

for all the reasons, I'm honored to select 

Rosalia Z. for this year's 2017 "Ready, 

Set, Gold!" award recipient." 

- Mr. Joe Jackson Jr. (P.E Teacher)


"We decided to choose (draw name 

out of a basket to determine winner) 

students who ran the perimeter of 

the school (5th grader activity every 

Wed.) multiple times instead of 

walking or running it once. As well, 

students who gave maximum effort 

daily at OIM (Overland in Motion, 

our morning 20 minute exercise 

routine, done together as an entire 

school). As well as students who 

strived to go beyond the minimum 

number of push ups and sit ups 

required by the State Test, as well 

those who strived to run the mile in 

the shortest time, cutting their 

beginning of the year time 

dramatically." 

- Ms. Heide 

Overland Elementary 

Winner: Nicholas! 


"RSG helped me get stronger 

and more fit really easily and 

helped me with my friends. It 

was very fun because of all the 

activities we did. I thought that 

how you were helping us with 

the track and the sit ups was 

really cool. The wristbands 

that you gave us were cool and 

it helped me build my 

confidence."


"There is no more deserving student for 

this recognition than Emmerson W. 

Emmerson embodies sportsmanship, raw 

talent, and the drive to be physically fit. 

She is a talented Track & Field star, 

looking up to our Ready, Set, Gold! 

Olympian, Donna Mayhew, as an example 

of what her hard work could one day 

achieve. 

While Emmerson excels in physical 

education, she sometimes has difficulty in 

other subjects. The intense drive she 

exhibits while performing in sports, has 

carried over into her other subjects as well. 

Although she doesn't always succeed, she 

refuses to give up. 

Ranchito Elementary 

Winner: Emmerson! 

During the month of March, the entire 5th 

grade took the 5th grade FitnessGram as 

part of our state testing. I had the privilege 

of watching Emmerson excel at this test. 

She runs as if she is floating on air, her 

stides effortless. While doing the curl ups 

she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, 

and got in "the zone", so to speak. She 

made every event look easier than the 

next! 

I am incredibly proud and grateful that 

Emmerson received this wonderful 

acknowledgement from your organization." 

- Ms. Katherine Nakakihara (5th grade 

teacher) 


"Dear Donna Mayhew, 

Thank you so much for giving me that 

gold medal because I love doing P.E. 

Like I love track and field. I love working 

out. Also, thank you for the Samsung 

watch. Also Thank you for all that you 

done" 

P.S. Thank you for getting us to workout 

so when we go to middle school, we will 

be ready."


Rancho Dominguez High School 

Winner: Learsy! 

"Learsy G. is an A-B student. As 

a Freshman Learsy ran on the 

Rancho Dominguez Cross 

Country team and is on the Swim 

team. Learsy is a humble kid who 

enjoys running and competing 

with his other brothers." 

- Mr. Dwayne Tatnall (P.E. 

Teacher)


"Hello, my name is Maya P. and I'm 

writing about the "Ready, Set,Gold! 

Program that brings Olympians to 

my school. P.E. classes is an 

amazing idea, especially for people 

who want to have a career in sports. 

The Olympian bring amazing tips 

and tricks to those in the class on 

fitness, and exercise in general. 

They bring amazing stories about 

what it was like being in the 

Olympics. Not only the stories of the 

Olympics are inspiring, but the story 

of the journey to get there is 

inspiring. The idea and set up of the 

"Ready, Set,Gold!" program is 

amazing." 


Dominguez 

Rancho 

School 

Middle 

"Maya P. performed highly despite 

being diagnosed with asthma and 

needing an inhaler. Maya is a 

seventh grader who enjoys reading 

in her spare time. She is an A-B 

student while also playing in the 

Rancho Dominguez Marching 

Band." 

Winner: Maya! 

- Mr. Dwayne Tatnall (P.E. Teacher)


"Hello, my name is Eduardo G. and I 

am a sophomore at Roosevelt High 

School. I want to give a special 

thank you to "Ready, Set, Gold!" and 

the speakers that changed my way 

of thinking. The day the speaker 

talked to my class I got motivated to 

be in sports and work out. So I 

joined tennis, track and field, and a 

organization called SRLA, which 

helps students train for the Los 

Angeles Marathon. Anyway, I 

improved my overall athleticism by 

giving it my all in tennis and track 

and field practice. I also ran the Los 

Angeles Marathon in 4:37. 

Ultimately "Ready, Set, Gold!" and 

the speakers changed my life and 

most importantly my future." 

Roosevelt High School 

Winner: Eduardo! 


"Eduardo G. is a 10th grade 

student who excelled on the 

fitnessgram tests. He scored high 

in the HFZ (healthy fitness zone) 

for all the tests. I chose Eduardo 

because he showed the most 

improvement from the beginning of 

the class training up to the actual 

testing period. He demonstrated 

strong commitment and desire to 

improve. He listened to the 

messages of Paul and Rey about 

self-improvement." 

- Mr. D. Perea (P.E Teacher)


"Destiny L. was chosen as a 

candidate for the watch raffle. 

Choosing only one student was 

difficult, but I looked at the whole 

package. Destiny is not my fastest 

runner nor can she do over 10 push 

ups, but she has shown growth and 

improvement since the beginning of 

the school year. She has very good 

sportsmanship, puts effort in 

everything we do. She is polite and 

respectful to adults and peers. 

Destiny is a good role model of what 

I look for in students. someone who 

works hard to improve, helps others, 

who always has a smile on her face 

and is ready to work." 

- Mr. Goblirsch (7th Grade Teacher) 


South East Middle School 

Winner: Destiny! 

"I participated in the program 

with Mr. Goblirsch and learned 

new activities that made me 

more confident to participate in 

P.E. I am healthier and more 

active because of it."


"Dwight Stones has inspired 

many people in his life. There 

have been many kids like me 

who took his words to heart. 

After hearing his speeches, I 

was inspired to push myself. 

Every day I would say to myself 

that I can do bettr. There is no 

limit for me. I need to push 

myself further than anyone was 

before. I can't stop now. Day 

after day, I would go further 

because Dwight Stones inspired 

me to. His words will always 

inspire me to do my best no 

matter what the challenge " 

South Gate High School 

Winner: Nicholas! 


" Nicholas is my best P.E. 

student!" 

- Mr. Edmundson (P.E. teacher)


"Matthew L. was selected to receive the 

Samsung watch as he has shown an 

astounding amount of effort, 

sportsmanship, and true athletic ability 

consistently throughout the year. He is 

truly a deserving student. 

During the "Ready, Set, Gold!" visits, 

Matthew was a leader among students. 

He helped and encouraged other 

students to do their best, as he modeled 

a championship "can-d" attitude. Our 

visiting Olympian, Shevon, appreciated 

his demeanor and positive force. As a 

well-rounded, super-star student, 

Matthew is truly golden! 

Thank you very much for providing such 

a wonderful reward for such a wonderful 

child!" 

- Ms. Student Wright (5th Grade Teacher) 

Way Elementary 

Toland 

School 

Winner: Matthew! 


"Ready, Set,Gold! is a program 

teamed up with an Olympian, Shevon. 

Shevon helped me and my friends 

progress in P.E. We learned how to 

run a mile, learned how to breathe 

properly during running and especially 

how to stay focused. She told us that 

there are no obstacles in life that we 

have to face and when we don't win or 

finish your goal, you get up and try 

again. Thank you for the awesome 

watch!"


"I write to let you know that the watch that you 

generously donated on behalf of Samsung went 

to a very deserving young girl named Grecia. 

From the very beginning of our training sessions 

leading up to the official FitnessGram 

assessment, Grecia showed a level of 

determination that set an example for other 

students to follow. She set personal goals to 

achieve in each of the fitness categories and 

showed consistent progress each training 

session, ultimately exceeding her own 

expectations. Grecia was not the top-performing 

girl overall (although she was close), but she was 

without question the student who showed the 

most overall improvement amongst girls or boys, 

as well as the student who was most committed to 

personal excellence. In the Pacer activity alone, 

she went from barely being able to complete 14 

laps to completing 29 during the assessment! I 

know that Grecia was very proud of her 

FitnessGram accomplishments, and her family 

was understandably very proud of her too. During 

our March awards assembly, I presented Grecia 

with a Most Improved award based upon her 

FitnessGram performance; being able to also 

present her with the Samsung watch in front of 

the whole school is a memory that she and her 

family will not soon forget. As you may or may not 

know, Toluca Lake Elementary is a Title I school, 

which means that our population is primarily 

composed of students from low-income families. 

Having the opportunity to train with former 

Olympian Jeff Williams shows students that they, 

too, can overcome obstacles and accomplish their 

dreams. Thank you for all that Ready, Set, Gold! 

is doing in our community to promote fitness 

amongst youth." 

- Mr. Rick Lee (5th Grade Teacher) 

Toluca Lake Elementary 

Winner: Grecia! 


"I feel proud in my overall success in 

the FitnessGram test. I’m happy that 

I won the Samsung watch because I 

improved the most in the class. It is 

important for me to be healthy and to 

represent my school in the 

FitnessGram test. My parents are 

very proud of me. 

I am thankful that (Olympian) Jeff 

Williams has been here to help us 

practice running, pushups, jumping 

jacks, and to stretch before and after. 

He is probably a big reason why I 

was so successful. Thank you for the 

watch! I really like it."


"This letter is to state that Giovanni R. is the 

winner of the Samsung Smart watch 

generously provided by Samsung and the 

Ready Set Gold program. Giovanni is a very 

special student who overcame obstacles 

early at the beginning of this school year 

when he broke his arm. He wasn’t able to 

participate in physical activities for a couple 

of months. During this time, the rest of the 

grade level prepared for the Fitness Gram 

daily by running, doing push-ups, sit-ups, 

going up and down stairs, etc…Giovanni 

never let that situation put him down. He 

came back with a vengeance an overcame 

his misfortune by coming in top in Fitness 

Gram performance overall in the grade level 

when testing was done! He placed First (1st) 

in push ups, second (2nd) in running and 

second (2nd ) at sit-ups. After what he had 

to overcome, it became quite clear that 

Giovanni is the well deserving recipient of 

the watch. Thank you Samsung and Ready 

Set Gold for the support and continued 

dedication to our students." 

- Mr. Herbert Guevara (Coordinator) 

Trinity Elementary 

Winner: Giovanni! 


"I feel good and excited because in 

the beginning of the year, I had a 

broken hand and I couldn't do 

(anything), but no one stopped me 

from doing what I want to do (which 

is to be) strong! I started late, I even 

got less training then other kids 

because I practi(ced) hard to get 

better and better! At first it was easy, 

but then it got harder and harder, but 

I was re(a)dy for it! It was a great 

honor to have (Olympian) Ms.Clark 

with us because she told me it was 

getting harder so I pushed myself 

more and more. Ms. Clark said "go, 

go, don't stop until you reach your 

dream!" I was happy when she told 

me that."


" Dear Mr. Crear & Ready,Set,Gold! Team, 

Thank you for visiting our school and 

promoting the importance of physical 

education. (Olympian) Mr. Mark Crear was 

able to communicate with kids at their level 

and educate them about the importance of 

exercise and motivated them to adopt 

healthy habits into their lifestyle. He did a 

great job in stressing about goal-setting 

and self-discipline. He encouraged 

students to stay motivated whenever they 

encounter obstacles to achieving their 

dreams. His attitude and encouragement 

with the students stressed the importance 

of how it matters when you work hard 

because it will prepare them to do their best 

in striving to reach their own unique 

potential." 

- Mrs. Mghsyan (5th Grade Teacher) 


"Hi Mark Crear, I wrote this letter 

because I want to thank you for the 

watch. You coming to Vanalden is just 

a big blessing. I had so many great 

times. Thank you for doing so many 

activities with us. You have inspired my 

life, maybe one day I can be a track 

runner like you. When I first saw you, I 

know you had a great personality. I 

love the watch. So thank you. 

Winner: Juan! 

I also want to thank "Ready, Set, Gold!" 

You are just a dream come true. It it 

wasn't for you, I won't be having this 

exciting moment. Thank you so much! 

Thank you!" 

Vanalden Elementary


"To see and admire a Paralympian in our 

school was truly an honor. She totally 

influenced my decision on doing my 

best. Also, she gave us advise to never 

give up on your dreams. She showed us 

the true power of motivation when we 

were about to do our State Test and 

even showed us how she plays with her 

basketball team. All of the students, 

myself included, were amazed by how 

unique this sport could be. She has 

shown us her medals on what she has 

won and actually you would be surprised 

by her capacity. She has believed in us 

to keep on succeeding on PE, and every 

little obstacle we get in front of. But truly 

the lesson I learned from her is to always 

be grateful for what we have and to be 

appreciative to what we have obstained. 

She is really a perfect role model." 

Venice Senior High School 

Winner: Donaji! 


"The reason I selected Donaji for the 

watch is because she is an excellent 

student. She is always willing to pitch a 

hand, to clear out the locker room, help a 

student with a locker, translate Spanish 

to English, she is your woman. She also 

has an incredible amount of sympathy 

and compassion for the special education 

students, our class co teaches with APE 

(adaptive PE) and she is remarkable. 

She has all A's and far exceeds her 

peers in maturity. She is a joy to have in 

class and feel she was the most 

deserving 9th grader. She continues to 

improve her running times and did an 

excellent job on the fitness test. I wish 

her the absolute best and could only 

hope for more students like her." 

- Ms. Kehr (P.E. Teacher)

FitnessGram_Complete

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