The Lincoln Log

It’s been a long, hard road, physically, mentally and emotionally challenging, but Health Idol has finally come to a conlusion in a shocking victory: the original creator of the competition that sets students and teachers against each other in health related challenges, Ian Enriquez championed the other two finalists in the final round.

“I feel…a weird guilt for winning,” Enriquez said. “But I was excited.”

The final round involved the three finalists, Enriquez, teacher Jeffery Kim, and Flynn twin wonder, Steven, tying the most complicated knot they could with a tube around their opponent. The opponent would then have to move a marble from one end of the tube to the other. Points were earned for having the fastest time as well as the most complex knot.

“It was a 14 second win. It could have easily been Steven,” Enriquez said. “He should have taken it.”

This is the first year a teacher has won Health Idol. It was also the first year for both Enriquez and Kim to compete. Kim made it far for his first year but said he wasn’t disappointed in losing.

“It wasn’t really about winning,” Kim said. “I really want students to consider physical fitness as an essential part of healthy living.”

Kim was on his high school basketball team and has been working out all his life.

“Exercise…helps me to clear my mind, think better, relieve stress,” he said. “It also makes it easier for me to climb up to the third floor everyday.”

Before Health Idol started up this year, Flynn aand Enriquez made a bet that if they were to make the final two, the winner would get to have the other eat whatever the winner wanted. Flynn is a pescatarian. Despite contemplating meats and researching unhealthy foods, Enriquez decided to take him out for sushi with some of the winnings. Flynn has never tried eel before.

Next year, Kim does not plan to participate again but, Enriquez must defend his title as “health idol” for a second year.

“There wete so many challenges I could have done better in,” Enriquez said. “I want to do better next year than I did this year.”

Enriquez said that he fears there may be a greater sense vengeance from other competitors next year to try to stop him from winning two years in a row. He also fears potential competition in new participants.

“Matt Indelicado didn’t make it in this year,” Enriquez said. “If he gets in, he’s going to be a problem.”