2010 – The Kansas Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution No. 1819 sponsored by Senator Janis Lee adopted by the entire SENATE body, supporting Kevin Saunders for the position of chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. After the reading of the Resolution the Senate & guests gave tribute to Mr. Saunders with 5 minutes of applause for his accomplishments and to support him to become the next chairman of the President’s Fitness Council.”

Kevin Saunders plan as chairman includes following up on what Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger started over 20 years ago as Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports when he visited all 50 states to advocate for daily, quality physical education and fitness. Kevin formed the non-profit corporation entitled’ Fitness 4 All 50 state tour and plans when appointed chairman to also follow First Lady, Michelle Obama’s lead fighting childhood obesity and support her; “Let’s Move” campaign.” Governor Schwarzenegger’s quote about Kevin says it best! “Kevin’s broken body bears silent testimony to one who has overcome tremendous obstacles to get fit and beckons others to follow.” — California Governor Schwarzenegger

Kevin Saunders will visit all 50 states with a plan to encourage schools and school districts, students, parents, teachers and administrators, city and state officials to become lifelong supporters of the initiative to create accountability for fitness education, increased fitness activities and providing healthier choices. Kevin wants to get students and parents involved with frequent PTA meetings with the support of National healthy food vendors and fitness leaders to help the diverse at risk populations to learn how to incorporate eating healthy and exercising into their everyday lives. Also providing students and parents with information and education on how to properly read and understand food labels. The National healthy food vendors will help by providing free coupons as incentives for healthy foods, simple recipes and shopping tips to students and parents. Part of this plan involves helping students and parents understand how they can buy healthy foods and prepare them together as a family at a lesser cost and how it is better for you than eating out at fast food or convenience stores all of the time.

Kevin will be criss-crossing each state with his team to share his motivational message of how fitness, eating right and making healthier choices gave him his life back after being blown over 300 feet through the air onto a concrete parking lot. Leaving him hospitalized for almost a year. Kevin found himself paralyzed from the chest down with no core balance when he reentered mainstream life. Kevin Saunders came back to become a world champion wheelchair athlete earning the title “World’s greatest all-around wheelchair athlete” and became one of the top motivational speakers in America. Kevin will share his message of “Tragedy to Triumph” with students in big, medium and small school districts across each state in America. Kevin also wants to provide students with daily accountability journals so they can set their short & long term goals for the education, fitness & making healthier choices.

Kevin will follow the administrations lead to encourage school districts to buy into the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign using preventative measures for obesity by providing healthier choices improved fitness and activities all students can take part in. Kevin will also meet with Mayors, City Councils and community leaders and concerned citizens and state Governors and their Health & Human Services staff to get them on board to provide the partnerships with corporate and business leaders. In order to help provide and raise the funds necessary to build the lifelong support mechanism that will promote and provide the fitness education and activities, healthy eating choices necessary to help maintain a lasting permanent change to reduce childhood obesity. Kevin wants to help cut down on the hundreds of billions of dollars being spent by our national health care system on obesity related diseases.

Kevin learned firsthand after working with Head Coach, Bill Snyder and being part of the “Greatest turnaround in college football history” that you have to get the student / athletes to buy into the program. Then you have to get the University President and Board of Regents and other university leaders to buy in as well and help provide the support and funds necessary to help Kansas State University compete with other major Division-1 football programs in America. Then you have to get the support of the Alumni to financially support your goals as well as businesses like Nike for uniforms and many others. You have to also get people to see things differently in Kansas State football that was Coach Snyder convincing people after only 4 winning seasons from WWII to 1990 Kansas State only had 4 winning seasons. The 5 years prior to Head Coach Bill Snyder’s arrival the football team had only won 4 games. As you can imagine convincing people they could win football games and become champions in football at Kansas State took not only a great plan, leadership it took a great deal of effort in many different areas to truly make a lasting winning change for the better.
By getting everyone working together for a common goal to improve fitness education, activities and making and providing healthier choices for our youth we can win the fight against childhood obesity in America!