Success Stories
Dramatic weight loss for Roseville couple “Walking to Thrive”
Jim Williams and Bobbi Knapp were in the crowd of more than 2,000 participants as our Walk to Thrive
program launched at the Westfield Galleria in February 2012, but you may not recognize them today. That was the beginning of a dramatic transformation for the couple.
Almost every week, Jim Williams and Bobbi Knapp enjoy a Wednesday morning “Walk to Thrive” at the Westfield Galleria at Roseville. The couple go on a 1- or 2-mile walk with a KP physician and other area residents.
Williams and Knapp have been together for 21 years and were extremely active doing skiing, biking, soccer, and horseback riding but had to cut back on activity as they aged and encountered health issues. As a result their weight began to creep up. After learning about Walk to Thrive, they decided to take the necessary steps toward better health. “Jim has lost 65 pounds and I’ve lost a little more than 20,” said Knapp, Walk to Thrive club member and former Kaiser Permanente nurse.
How did they do it? “We changed our frame of mind,” said Knapp. “We exercise quite a bit, eat more veggies and less processed foods, more fresh herbs, less salt and meat, and we are careful about portions.” Each week, the couple attends the weekly Wednesday Walk to Thrive event. After walking a mile and checking in with their friends, they go out and walk again.
- Jim and Bobbi “before” they starting Walking to Thrive
Marc Hicks, Clinical Health Educator, Kaiser Permanente Roseville, leads stretches and one of the walks at the Galleria. “Jim and Bobbi are the kind of people that motivate others,” said Hicks. “They go the extra mile when it comes to being active and encourage others to do the same.” And the couple doesn’t stop there. They also go to the gym and participate in a neighborhood walking group the other days of the week. “The rewards are that people notice,” says Knapp. “We also feel healthier and that keeps us motivated.” “It’s more than a temporary change,” said Williams. “It’s a lifetime commitment and our way of life.”
