Jackson Free Press

For Holden Grimes, 11, eating healthy and staying fit—and encouraging his peers to do the same—is a big part of his life. Recently, Fuel Up to Play 60 choose the Madison Station Elementary School 5th grader as a state ambassador. The Southeast United Dairy Industry Association and the National Football League sponsor this in-school nutrition and physical activity program in partnership with the USDA to promote healthy eating and physical activity in schools to fight childhood obesity in the U.S.

"I was very excited when I found out that I was chosen as state ambassador," Grimes says.

State ambassadors for the program, along with six national ambassadors, serve as leaders of the FUTP 60 programs and promote healthy behaviors at their schools. Ambassadors also complete "plays" and challenges on the FUTP 60 website. Grimes successfully completed two healthy-eating challenges, one by creating an oatmeal recipe that contains yogurt and blueberries, and another challenge by working with school officials to have his school cafeteria serve yogurt with meals.

Grimes also completed a physical activity play in which he came up with five ways for students to become more physically active. Physical plays might consist of choreography with core fitness balls, Drums Alive in which students drum on the core balls while exercising, or Brain Breaks, where students take a break from classwork by doing some type of physical activity to boost their brain activity and concentration for better learning.

July 10 through 13, Grimes will attend the Student Ambassador Summit at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

Grimes found out about the FUTP 60 Ambassador program from his physical education teacher, Kathy Shows.

He says he enjoys his leadership position, especially when he's inspiring and motivating others.

"What I like most about my position is having little kids look up to me. They eat healthy when they see me eat healthy and try to be physically active when they see me do it," Grimes said.

Grimes is a straight-A student who likes to stay active by playing basketball with his parents Shawna and Richard Grimes, and his siblings. He has two older brothers, Harrison and Hayden, a younger sister, Hadley. This coming fall, Grimes will attend Madison Middle School.