They're sweating to the oldies... sort of.
Seven Cape Coral police officers on two different teams want to lose fat - and a bunch of it. They are competing in the 911Fitness Challenge against "a lot" of other law enforcement teams from throughout Florida.
The team that loses the most body fat and weight are winners of $5,000 - to be given to a charity.
Team Chub is comprised of Kurt Grau, Christy Ellis, Dave Dye and Steve Tsourkas. Everyone on the team except for Tsourkas is married.
The other "no name" team members are John Fouchia, Jennifer Matlock and Ray Van Houten.
Tsourkas is Team Chub's hope of winning.
"He's our ace because he was on a mission to gain weight. He's our ringer," Grau said, adding that Tsourkas packed on the pounds by eating as much as he could prior to the initial weigh-in a few weeks ago.
"He put on like 20 pounds," Dye said. "He's got to take a shot for the team. He looks huge and has not lost his neck."
Tsourkas, who was late for the interview, was not there to defend himself, but Ellis spoke up for him.
"Actually, in uniform, you wouldn't know it," she said.
But, with a grin on her face she, too, poked fun at Tsourkas a bit saying he lost his neck to his shoulders.
When Tsourkas arrived, he agreed to answer the same questions asked of the other three on Team Chub.
"Since I'm low man on the totem pole, I have to agree with them. They're my supervisors," he said, not knowing what the others had said about him.
Tsourkas is 25 and single, but recently engaged. He has served on the department since 1997.
He weighed 241 at the beginning of the eight-week challenge and had 18 percent body fat.
He would like to lose "a small child" or 20 pounds and get his body fat down to about 12 percent, he said.
To do so, he's been dieting and working out, doing cardio exercises, jogging and Stairmaster.
Grau joked that Tsourkas' "working out" consisted of going "from the sofa to the refrigerator." But, on a more serious note, all the team members said they are competing in the challenge not only to become more physically fit , but to help a good cause "when" they win the prize. The money will go to All Children's Hospital children's cancer unit.
"To me, it doubles the good to donate" the money, said Police Chief Arnold Gibbs.
"I think it's great that the law enforcement community is doing something like this," he said.
The second most important thing a law enforcement officer has is his health, he said. No. 1 is integrity.
"They've got some people involved like Dave Dye who's done body building and is help coaching," Gibbs said. "I think it's great what they're doing."
Grau, 33, said he weighed 192 pounds at check-in and hopes to get down to 180. He had 17 percent body fat and would like to get to 4 percent, or possibly even 2 percent. "I have no idea," he said.
He is doing cardio exercises also. But, he has had to cut out some things.
I cut out Iguana Mia and pizzas," he said dejectedly.
Ellis, 29, being the only woman on the team, opted not to say how much she weighed and, in deference to the female species, it will not be divulged.
After weigh-in, the team members had a long ride back from Orlando.
"It was a very quiet ride back," Ellis said. "I faced reality at the weigh-in."
She did admit she hopes to lose 25 pounds and get a lot lower than the 29 percent body she has now.
Ellis is doing a modified Weight Watchers diet program and had to go to a weigh-in the day of the interview.
"And the," she said, "I'm going to dinner theater tonight. I guess I will eat a lot of carrots and watch everyone else eat," she said with a groan.
Dye, 31, weights 190 pounds and hopes to actually gain weight. His body fat is now 11 percent and he wants it to go to 4 percent.
He recently had some medical problems which caused his weight to drop. Getting involved in the fitness challenge gives him a chance to get back into body-building, Dye said.
The teams will learn who the winners are just prior to Christmas- they can't pig out at Thanksgiving. The final weigh-in will be held Dec. 18 and 19.
"We'll be the winners," Ellis said with conviction. "We will win. We'll be the winning losers."