Newport News, Va. - A few months ago, News Channel 3 gave John Harris a OneLife gym membership after he wrote to us and said he wanted to run a marathon with his son.
But that was only the beginning.
"Having the gym membership, you gotta work out, you gotta do something, you gotta eat right," says John Harris, a OneLife gym membership winner. "So now doing the One City Marathon and having the gym membership we kind of watch what we eat now, we dirnk a lot more water, we exercise, we get out and even just take a walk as a family. We get out to do stuff to stay active."
John knew his 11-year-old son wanted to run the marathon, but was too young to do it on his own. So he started training so that they could do it together.
"I try to have something I do with each one of my kids," says Harris, "The youngest one is soccer, John he likes to run and my oldest one is baseball. So that way I can split the difference and have that one thing we do with eachother."
His son John says, "Its making us bond more."
The lifestyle change has even inspired young John to start a YouTube channel called 'Get out, Play more' where the father son duo post videos of the family exercising and meal planning.
"I started it to get kids off the couch and get out and play more," says John Braxton, "I'm hoping people will spread the word to other people about my channel and have more subscribers so more people have a healthier life."
The One City Marathon may have been their goal in the beginning, but it won't be the end of their health journey.
