Jill Bane was well known for serving the Pontiac community and as an Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist Assistant at Champion Fitness Physical Therapy. Highly regarded by the athletes, parents, and patients she worked with, Jill built her reputation by putting patients first. Jill truly loved her career. And she held close to her heart the family of co-workers and friends that she made during her eleven years at Champion Fitness Physical Therapy. Highly regarded by the athletes, parents, and patients she worked with, she served as a mentor and inspiration to fellow employees and students interested in the athletic training and physical therapy fields before losing her courageous battle with lymphoma in 2009. In the spirit of her commitment to advancing patient care, Champion Fitness Physical Therapy has joined forces with the Bane family in offering the Jill Bane Memorial Scholarship.
1. This scholarship is available to any high school senior who plans to pursue a career in either physical therapy or athletic training. Past winners have received a $1000 one-year award.
2. Applicants must reside within a thirty-mile radius of any of the fifteen Champion Fitness Physical Therapy clinics in central and southeastern Illinois and have maintained a 3.0/4.0 or 4.0/5.0 GPA. Each applicant needs to submit a transcript (including class rank/GPA), as well as an e-mail address (for easy communication purposes).
3. One letter of character reference from a non-family member is also required, along with a 1-2 page essay discussing the following prompt-“How have my high school experiences prepared me to enter the physical therapy/athletic training field?” Essays will be judged on focus, presentation, grammar, and usage.
4. Deadline for all materials is April 12. Winner(s) will be announced by May 1.
5. Applicants should submit all materials (Letter, Transcript Info, & Essay) to:
Mick Peterson (e-mail: mpeterson@champfit.com)
Champion Fitness Physical Therapy
924 W Custer Ave.
Pontiac, IL 61764
We all said good-bye to a dear friend today. Today we laid to rest Diana Easton Johnson, another member of our Champion Fitness Physical Therapy family, who lost her valiant bout with cancer late last week. More importantly, we lost a mother, a grandmother, an ally, and a care-giver…and that was just here at Champion.
Diana’s official title here at Champion was “Physical Therapy Aide,” but that doesn’t tell the whole story. She was the one who greeted patients and helped them get started on their treatments; she was the one who made the patient relax and maybe tell a story; she was the one who listened to what the patient had to say; she was the one who treated each individual like he/she was a member of her own family.
Once you made her acquaintance, she became your friend. Somehow, Diana found out your birthday and then remembered it like it was part of her duties…anniversaries, too, sometimes. She would call you by name, talk about your family and then her family, laugh a little, maybe shed a tear, or even break into song….doing whatever it took to make each patient feel comfortable and special. That in itself is what we mean by “The Champion Way.”
When she found out she was sick, Diana fought as hard as she could. However, instead of worrying about herself, she spent her time making sure things were okay with her husband Clif, or her four sons, or maybe someone else she knew out there. Once she made a soup for a friend who was also undergoing treatment for cancer, even though she had just undergone a treatment herself. The next morning she checked with that friend to find out if the soup had been okay. That’s the type of person she was.
What kept her going in the last few days and weeks was her loving heart. That strength and will to live are the two things that will become part of her legacy. Although we all miss her dearly, we are glad her fight is over, and we know she is with her first husband Ken and her dear friend Jill in the loving arms of the Father.
And like her friend Jill before her, I am so glad she touched our lives, because Diana Easton Johnson is indeed a true Champion.
The remnants of Hurricane Isaac hit central Illinois on September 1. But that didn’t stop the One More Game VI participants from having perhaps the most satisfying game in the history of the event…satisfying in that the day gave the players a chance to experience football through a new light…rain. And while it probably has always been the dream of kids to go play in the mud, these 26 players did so with a purpose…learning the game along the way, picking up new techniques, playing different positions on the field, and, most importantly, developing a camaraderie that can’t be found in other sports.
They came from all over…some faces familiar…some from out of state…some who hadn’t played before….others who hadn’t played in this game in awhile….and when the final whistle blew, the White team, behind two touchdown passes from all-time quarterback Robby Shoenhoft to Joel Schmillen, defeated the Orange squad, who got their TD on a run by Billy Burns, 14-8. Fumbles aplenty, sliding and slipping on almost every play, and wiping of mud from the hands failed to prevent these fun-loving guys from having a day which they can brag about for months to come….until next year when One More Game VII kicks off.
We have recently begun a new program designed to feature YOU—the Champion Fitness Physical Therapy patient!!!
Once you have completed your total plan of care as prescribed by your therapist and physician, you will now be eligible to participate in our “Graduation Program.”
All you have to do is send us a picture of you doing something you enjoy that you could not do before you began therapy…like Larry Wright from Fairbury did after his 2nd hip replacement. We would love for you to wear your Champion Graduation T-Shirt, like Larry is doing. In fact, we are in the process of creating a new design for the t-shirt and will have that available sometime this summer.
You will be receiving a card in your Graduation Packet that explains this idea, but here are the basic points we’d like to share. We plan to use these photos like Larry’s) on our website, put them on our Facebook or Twitter accounts, in our GBL Quarterly Newsletter, or maybe on a poster that we would display in each of our clinics around central and southeastern Illinois.
All you have to do is:
1. Take a picture of you in a “Get Busy Living!” mode
2. Send that photo with your name, the clinic you received your therapy at, and any comments you’s like to make to mpeterson@champfit.com
3. Those with no email access can bring the photo to the nearest clinic who will help you with the process.
Simple as that! There are plans in the works for your clinic to get a little perk for your cooperation, so this could be a Win-Win for everybody! Enjoy the fun!
The “Boys of Fall” are back once again—-ONE MORE GAME VI will be played on Saturday, September 1 at Williamson Field in Pontiac. This “fantasy camp” for guys wanting to relive their glory days, experience the game of football for the first time, or just want to put on the pads one more time are eligible to play. In 2011, several cahnges were made that made the whole experience the best one yet.
Champion Fitness Physcial Therapy is looking to hire physical therapists (PTs) for the Champaign and Tuscola areas. Any interested applicants should contact Human Resource Officer Stephanie Kennedy (skennedy@champfit.com) at their earliest convenience. (877-348-8500)
Owner and Physical Therapist Jeffery C. Schade announced recently that TWO new physical therapy clinics will open by the end of January. The sites are located in Metamora at 912 W. Mt. Vernon Ave. and in Newton at 100 S. Sycamore. With seventeen clinics now all over central Illinois, Champion Fitness Physical Therapy continues its efforts to be able to offer its many services to area families. The company has always maintained a strong reputation for standing behind its patients by scheduling their first appointment within 24-48 hours, educating them along the way, and offering a caring staff who makes the physical therapy process as convenient and comfortable as possible.
Owner Schade is excited about the opportunity to provide services to both areas. “We are thrilled with the chance to have these clinics in Metamora and Newton,” Schade said. “These communities are exactly the type we look for when we search for areas to possibly expand. The city officials and the townspeople in both cities have been exceptionally warm to our arrival, and we look forward to serving the clientele in both areas. Our physical therapists for these clinics, Michael Bennington for Metamora and Cory Hanley for Newton, are both a couple of the top therapists in our company, so that should make things easy as well,” Schade noted.”
Schade went on to add, “The goal with each patient is to help that individual ‘Get Busy Living!’ We want that person to get back to enjoying the lifestyle that he or she was doing earlier, or even things he or she maybe hasn’t done for years, things like dancing at a wedding reception, or swinging that driver on the first tee, pushing that lawnmower, or planting those onions in the backyard garden. At Champion Fitness Physical Therapy, the patient comes first-always!”
Among the services offered by the clinic include therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, therapeutic modalities, and recovery exercise programs. Regardless of the situation, whether it be an accident occurring at home, an athletic injury, an industrial rehabilitation case, or just a case of Mother Nature catching up to an individual, Champion Fitness Physical Therapy gives the folks in both the Metamora-Germantown Hills area and the Newton-Jasper County area an opportunity to receive prompt, convenient, and comforting care. “We would like to be your choice for physical therapy for the rest of your life,” Schade concluded.
In honor of the 15th Anniversary of Champion Fitness Physical Therapy, staff members collaborated efforts to create a souvenir cookbook of their most “famous” recipes. A limited number of these cookbooks are available at your local Champion Fitness Physical Therapy clinic for $10 with all of the proceeds benefitting the “Champion in Needs” fund. Call 877-348-8500 for more details.
Do you know what the biggest mistake patients make when considering Physical Therapy?
It’s the idea that they have NO option when choosing a provider. It’s that they HAVE to go here or there, based on what someone else tells them.
NOT TRUE at all!!!
The fact of the matter is that the choice for physical therapy lies with YOU—– the individual who needs it. Naturally, you may get suggestions from doctors or clinicians to use one place or another because of an affiliation with a certain locale, but in no way are you required to follow their lead. The secret is for you to find the right place, the right atmosphere, the right therapist, the most convenient scheduling, and, most importantly, the best chance for you to make the type of recovery you feel you can make. Just like choosing a dentist or beautician or even a mechanic, the number one factor in making that decision involves TRUST. Right behind also has to be HONESTY and INTEGRITY.
Certainly, we are always pleased whenever someone chooses Champion Fitness Physical Therapy for his/her care. What makes more sense, though, is knowing that a correct decision in the quest to “Get Busy Living!” again is made by the patient. You, the patient, are the one who has to choose; we want you back doing things you were doing before you started with much more ease and comfort. That’s the result you want when choosing physical therapy.
At Champion Fitness Physical Therapy, the patient comes first—always! Whether it be Work, Play, or Everyday, we want to help you “Get Busy Living!”
We want to be your physical therapy provider for life.
This Friday, as part of our celebration of October—-National Physical Therapy month, Champion Fitness Physical Therapy employees will be honoring one of the most important causes our country faces…Breast Cancer Awareness. October is also National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and our staff members will be wearing Pink this Friday to show their support for Breast Cancer. Stop by and see how your local clinic is decked out.
Stephen Bardo is pictured with St. Mary's Principal Richard Moorehouse (L) and Champion Fitness owner Jeff Schade (R). Bardo spoke to St. Mary's students.
Former NBA player, Illini standout from the 1989 Final Four team, and current ESPN analyst Stephen Bardo spoke to a pair of groups in Pontiac on September 28. After an intial performance at Pontiac High School in front of a crowd close to 1000, Bardo brought his message to St. Mary’s Grade School where he shared his ideas and thoughts with a group of around 225. Bardo, a longtime friend of Gary Brunner, former PTHS girls basketball coach, who was instrumental in getting the former Illini to come to Pontiac, advised his audiences to dream big, develop their own “road map” to success, and see themselves as a success by putting their own picture on an existing poster of an individual they would most likely want to emulate.
Champion Fitness Physical Therapy helped as well in sponsoring the St. Mary’s event.
The 2011 IESA Class A softball crown returns to Casey-Westfield for the first time since 1997 as the Lady Braves defeated Bourbonnais 12-6 in the title game for this year’s hardware.
The Lady Braves defeated Dwight 11-0 in five innings on Friday mornning to advance to the trophy round on Saturday. In the morning session, CW knocked off Bloomington Holy Trinity 9-3 to get to the title game.
In the championship game, the Lady Braves battled back from an early deficit to take the crown by a 12-6 score over Bourbonnais and finish the year with a 24-1 record.
“My 8th grade class stepped up huge this whole weekend,” said head coach Chey Howe. “(We picked it up) all around in batting and in the field which helped my 6th and 7th graders step up as well.
“I am a VERY proud coach and have been privileged to have coached a number of the 8th grade class this summer where they showed me the potential they had when they worked out the loser bracket to receive 2nd at State then finishing in the top 14 teams at the World Series; they deserved to add this to their list.
“They are just very well rounded athletes that know the game well… in certain situations on defense I didn’t even have to tell them to do little things as to get the lead runner or look the runner back.
Here are the first two winners of our Fall 2011 “Get Busy Living” Performer of the Week contest. Your school could be just like theirs and win $100 for the PE department. E-mail your entry to mpeterson@ champfit.com
Week #1 Winner--Cumberland HS QB Kendal Butler (C) along with AD Roy Clapp and Champion's PT Cory Hanley, himself a Cumberland HS alum
Week #2 Winner Flanagan-Cornell-Woodland HS RB-LB Josh Long (R) with Head Coach and AD Ted O'Boyle
Maybe we should have changed the name to “One More Play!”
With lightning flashing in the nearby sky, Orange QB Drew Peterson had one last play to try to bring his team back from a 30-28 deficit. As he looked downfield for one of his wide receivers from the White team’s 35 yardline, the protection broke down, and he was forced to scramble. He broke containment, headed down the east sideline, racing toward the endzone. At the ten yardline, he avoided a defender, but that juke allowed White team’s Michael Hert to close in. A collision…bodies grunted…a lunge…and a winning…saving tackle by Hert as Peterson landed on the one yard line!
Orange players wanted one more play to get in, but officials has already decided that the weather was too threatening, so with 5:24 left on the clock, the game was called….and Pontiac Mayor Bob Russell earned his third straight victory in the series, topping former head coach Mick Peterson’s Orange Team 30-28.
It was by far the best game in the five-years as the format was adjusted to fit the number of players involved. Fifty-yard field, eight on eight squads, more emphasis on offense resulted in easily the highest scoring game in history. Former Pontiac All-State quarterback Tommy Green hooked up for touchdown passes to former Indians Chad Nelson, Blake Stadel, and Paul Kelly, while Andy Lauber, Travis Miller, Peterson, and Chad Sibert scored for the Orange. The difference was a PAT scored by Stadel on the White’s last score.
Champion Fitness Physical Therapy owner Jeff Schade was ecstatic about the game, despite the fact that he once again came out on the short end of the scoring. “We had only 27 guys, we practiced and played through some tough heat and humidity; and everybody just played lights out!” he said after the game. “We have a format that we all like now, and we really can’t wait til next year to do it all over again.”
Proceeds from the event benefit the Champion Fitness Physical Therapy/Jill Bane Memorial Scholarship fund.
For the past two years, Pontiac Mayor Bob Russell has been on the winning sideline as coach in the One More Game competition, the annual one-day football spectacular now entering its fifth year here in Pontiac. Back in 2009, Russell’s squad defeated Pontiac High School’s Social Studies chairman Eric Sweetwood’s Orange squad 12-6 in double overtime; last year, Russell and former PTHS Athletic Director & Coach Don Daluga proved once again that “veteran” coaches can still get it done as their White team used two first half touchdowns and a staunch defense to upend the Orange squad of the “younger” coaches Eric Sweetwood, PTHS Social Studies Chairman and Mark Myre of WJEZ Radio 14-6.
This year, though, Coach Russell will face his “toughest” test yet as his opponent across the field will be former PTHS head coach and recently named Hall of Fame member Mick Peterson. The game will mark Peterson’s first contest since he retired from coaching following the 2006 season. Peterson’s last game at Williamson Field was a 14-7 Senior Night victory over Rochester on a cold, blustery October night back in that final year.
The fifth rendition of One More Game takes place on September 3 at Williamson Field. All of the proceeds from the event benefit the Champion Fitness Physical Therapy-Jill Bane Memorial Scholarship Fund, awarded to prospective students entering the physical therapy or athletic training fields.
Jeff Schade, owner of Champion Fitness Physical Therapy and organizer of the annual occasion, looks forward to the day each and every year. “The guys just have a great time every year, and the stories that go along with it get better and better. Plus, we are able to use the proceeds from the day to help benefit the Jill Bane Memorial Scholarship Fund. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
Mike Farris from Casey was the winner of the 42″ HD TV in the 15th Anniversary Celebration drawing. Farris’ name was selected from a pool of over 4300 entries from all fifteen clinics in the Champion Fitness Physical Therapy family. The winner of the $100 restaurant certificate for 2nd prize was Barb Kobel of Champaign, while Sue Burke, also of Champaign, won the 3rd prize of a $50 restaurant certificate.
Congratulations to the Pontiac Boys and Girls Club, the winner of the $1000 top prize!!!!!!!!!
The Pontiac clinic finished in 1st place overall by scoring a total of 114.5 points, earning the $1000 for the Pontiac Boys and Girls Club. Other winners included: the Dwight Youth Baseball and Softball Leagues (2nd prize of $750); the Tuscola Boys Scouts (3rd prize of $500); and the Streator Community Center (4th prize of $250).
Prize totals reflected the overall scoring by the fifteen clinics in the Champion Fitness Physical Therapy family. Final results are listed below:
Here are the results of our 24 hour vote….the FINAL category of our Clinic competition!
We will be posting the the final results of the clinic competition and announce the winners of the 4 Grand Prizes for Local Youth Organizations here at 4:00 this afternoon!!!!!!
“It was the third of September,
that day I’ll always remember (yes I will),
cuz that was the day that my daddy….”
…played in ONE MORE GAME V!!!!!!
With respect to the Temptations, September 3 IS the day for One More Game V, the fifth annual fantasy football day when the boys of “old” become the “boys of fall” again. All proceeds go to the Champion Fitness Physical Therapy/Jill Bane Memorial Scholarship fund. Click here for more details!
Through the generosity of a local business, the Village of Saunemin/Saunemin School District Fitness Center has once again received several new pieces of equipment to upgrade their facility. For the second time in eighteen months, Champion Fitness Physical Therapy has donated several new free weights and weight machines to the Saunemin center, valued at over $18,000.
Champion owner Jeff Schade, a graduate of Saunemin High School in 1985, saw another great opportunity to help out his boyhood community. “Our company recently went through some changes in our wellness facilities, and we had a surplus of equipment on hand,” Schade explained. “It just made sense to us to see that the equipment would be put to good use. We helped (the Fitness Center) out back when they opened with equipment too, so that made it easy. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
The Village of Saunemin and the Saunemin School District joined forces back in 2008 to construct a new gymnasium for the grade school and community fitness center together. The project culminated with the doors opening in January of 2010. Currently, the fitness center has over 160 members from Saunemin and the surrounding area.
Summer hours are 7 AM- 12 PM and 3-9 PM Monday through Friday and 9-12 on Saturday.
