#MIKidsCan Winners Share What It’s Like to Play Like a Lion
| 7 min read
Hundreds of Michigan kids spent part of their summer learning how to play, eat, throw and sleep like their favorite Detroit Lions players. This week, our lucky #MIKidsCan Play like a Lion Challenge winners will take the field for an exclusive workout and VIP experience at Ford Field.
The Healthier Michigan team recently checked in with some of our winners to see what they learned from participating in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan challenge, and what they’re most excited to experience on Aug. 13.
Here’s what they had to say:
Brendon Burkett, Age 7, Canton
- Why did you participate in the #MIKidsCan Play like a Lion Challenge? I really like the Detroit Lions and I want to be healthy.
- What was your favorite weekly challenge? Playing football.
- What are your favorite ways to get physically active? I like running with my dad. I like playing football, soccer and baseball.
- What are you favorite fruits and vegetables? I like watermelon, strawberries, cucumbers and peppers. I like a lot of fruits and vegetables.
- Why do you think it’s important for kids to be active? So you can be healthy and play sports.
- What are you most excited about doing when you attend Ford Field on August 13? I’m excited about meeting the players and being in the fan tunnel.
Alex Cardenas, Age 11, Northville
- Why did you participate in the #MIKidsCan Play like a Lion Challenge? Because I like sports and being healthy is important to be a good athlete and I liked being up for the challenge.
- What was your favorite weekly challenge? My favorite was week 3, Play Like a Lion because I love to play outside everyday with my brother and friends.
- What are your favorite ways to get physically active? I like to play football and baseball with my teams. I also like to play whiffle ball in my backyard.
- What are you favorite fruits and vegetables? I love bananas and cucumbers. I also like to eat a lot of salad.
- Why do you think it’s important for kids to be active? Kids should be active so they can get stronger and get in shape. This will help them with sports.
- What are you most excited about doing when you attend Ford Field on August 13? I want to meet as many players as I can because I love football.
Alona Leoine Champion, Age 9, Detroit
- Why did you participate in the #MIKidsCan Play like a Lion Challenge? Because I’m a big Detroit Lions fan and I wanted to help encourage some of my friends to active with our bodies. They’re always laying around or sitting around all day.
- What was your favorite weekly challenge? I liked the week that wanted me to play like a Lion because I got to trick my friends into wanting to play outside all week and take selfies with me instead of in the house on the tablets and computers and phones. Now they hang outside with me more riding our bikes and racing each other and things.
- What are your favorite ways to get physically active? I love dance, basketball, cheerleading, running, flipping, and skating because it’s a lot of powerful movement and flexibility and I can try and do tricks and things with all of them.
- What are you favorite fruits and vegetables? I LOVE champagne cherries and strawberries and bananas. When it comes to vegetables, I love everything all day except for brocolli with cheese. Well actually that’s because I don’t like cheese.
- Why do you think it’s important for kids to be active? I think it’s important to know that you can enjoy life so much longer and more happy and healthy without so many sicknesses if they start being active now and not end up too weak and exhausted so fast or become bigger and can’t do anything active with their kids when they get older.
- What are you most excited about doing when you attend Ford Field on August 13? My mom won’t tell me what all I get to do because she said she wants it to be a surprise but I’ve never gotten a chance to be on the field or the big screen at a Lions’ game. The closest I’ve been on the field has been when we’re in the first row at games. I really hope I get to hug Megatron, Mr. Tulloch, the nice Rookie Kevin Snyder, Coach Caldwell, Mr. Levy and it would be soooooo super awesome to meet Barry Sanders. Oh and Roary! I love Roary now even though I used to be kinda scared of him when I was a baby kid because I feared he could eat me.
Amanda Francis, Age 10, Grand Rapids
- Why did you participate in the #MIKidsCan Play like a Lion Challenge? To stay healthy.
- What was your favorite weekly challenge? Eat Like A Lion. Filling half my plate with fruit and veggies was yummy.
- What are your favorite ways to get physically active? Swimming and biking.
- What are you favorite fruits and vegetables? Pineapples and Cucumbers.
- Why do you think it’s important for kids to be active? To help you grow up strong and healthy.
- What are you most excited about doing when you attend Ford Field on August 13? Meeting players!
Dalton Frank, Age 12, East Lansing
- Why did you participate in the #MIKidsCan Play like a Lion Challenge? Because I enjoy being outside.
- What was your favorite weekly challenge? The 60 minutes a day everyday activity.
- What are your favorite ways to get physically active? Playing outside with my friends. We play baseball, soccer and football.
- What are you favorite fruits and vegetables? I love watermelon and strawberries. I like cucumbers and carrots.
- Why do you think it’s important for kids to be active? I think it is a great way to stay healthy and have fun.
- What are you most excited about doing when you attend Ford Field on August 13? Just to be down on the field and be active with other kids.
Madison Knuttila, Age 7, Munising
- Why did you participate in the #MIKidsCan Play like a Lion Challenge? Because the Detroit Lions is my favorite team.
- What are your favorite ways to get physically active? Soccer.
- What are you favorite fruits and vegetables? Grapes and carrots.
- Why do you think it’s important for kids to be active? To stay healthy.
- What are you most excited about doing when you attend Ford Field on August 13? Meeting the players.
Nathan Larson, Age 7, Greenville
- Why did you participate in the #MIKidsCan Play like a Lion Challenge? I did it because I like to be outside playing in the summer and I want to meet Matthew Stafford. And the other Lions, I love the lions!
- What was your favorite weekly challenge? I liked the play outside like a lion for 60 minutes each day challenge.
- What are your favorite ways to get physically active? I like football, basketball and baseball. I like to do my monkey bars, my slack line and train for ninja warrior.
- What are you favorite fruits and vegetables? My favorites are carrots, tomatoes, salad and apples.
- Why do you think it’s important for kids to be active? I think kids should be active because they need to be healthy. They need to make sure they don’t get hurt and it is more fun to be outside playing.
- What are you most excited about doing when you attend Ford Field on August 13? I want to watch my first Lions football game in person, play on the field, do the tunnel and meet players especially Matthew Stafford!!!
Jennah Saad, Age 6, Dearborn
- Why did you participate in the #MIKidsCan Play like a Lion Challenge? To become healthier.
- What are your favorite ways to get physically active? Swimming and playing in the backyard.
- What are you favorite fruits and vegetables? Raspberry, strawberries, peppers and sometimes salad.
- Why do you think it’s important for kids to be active? So they stay healthy.
- What are you most excited about doing when you attend Ford Field on August 13? Going on the field with my sister.
Judson Skudre, Age 7, Grand Rapids
- Why did you participate in the #MIKidsCan Play like a Lion Challenge? To get energy so that I can run and play outside a lot.
- What was your favorite weekly challenge? Play outside because I always want to play outside.
- What are your favorite ways to get physically active? Soccer, baseball, any sports, tag and hide and go seek and avengers or ninja warrior.
- What are you favorite fruits and vegetables? Blueberries and any vegetables except onions.
- Why do you think it’s important for kids to be active? To get a lot of energy so that you can be healthy and strong.
- What are you most excited about doing when you attend Ford Field on August 13? I’m excited I get to see the players and Roary.
Photo Credit: A Healthier Michigan
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