Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph Jenna and John King, of Jacksonville, run on treadmills at ETMC's Olympic Center Friday. They are striving to get healthy together to be more active parents to their 4-year-old son.

Jenna and John King have had a rough time after a series of illnesses that plagued Mrs. King just months into their marriage five years ago.

But they didn’t let that stop them from seeking good health. They’re ready to shake things up. The couple weighed in recently during the kickoff of Lighten Up East Texas, a regional weight loss challenge established by the Fit City Challenge Coalition.

“It gives us a starting point, a new chapter in our journey,” King said.

In fact, they’re calling their new plan toward wellness “Jenna’s Journey.”

While the Jacksonville couple hopes to lose weight during the challenge —which calls for participants to lose at least 5 percent of their body weight —their biggest goal is a quality life that will let them enjoy their 4-year-old son, Parker, even more.

“I want to get in shape for myself,” Mrs. King said. “And my son, I really want to be fit for him.”

 

A BURDENSOME JOURNEY

On Sept. 24, 2008, a tumor measuring about 4 centimeters wide was removed from Mrs. King’s brain during an 18-hour surgery. It resulted in paralysis on her left side, some hearing loss, left eye problems and the inability to work.

In addition to the brain tumor, Mrs. King has battled thyroid cancer, fibromyalgia and trigeminal neuralgia, a painful facial nerve condition.

“It’s one thing on top of another,” King said.

The experiences strained the Kings’ marriage and during her medical crises, fitness was put on the backburner.

“I changed inside and out,” Mrs. King said.

The birth of their son was a silver lining amid the medical setbacks. They were told Mrs. King would not be able to have children, however, they conceived their son six months after her brain tumor surgery.

 

CARVING OUT A NEW PATH

The Kings learned about the weight loss challenge after seeing an advertisement for the contest on television. They registered the next day.

Mrs. King wants to lose about 20 pounds, while her husband, a warehouse worker, has a more ambitious goal.

“I’d like to get back to what I weighed in high school — about 180,” King said, noting he needs to drop about 60 pounds. “She’d like to strengthen her left side.”

On Thursday, they made the next step by getting health assessments, which included body mass index and blood pressure at East Texas Medical Center Olympic Center in Jacksonville.

The couple said they would exercise five times each week, including cardio and strength training.

Mrs. King wants to share her journey with others. She’s working on putting together a blog that will give followers a glimpse into her exercise regimen and milestones. She anticipates a long journey but is ready to accept the challenge, nonetheless.

“Hopefully, this is the last one,” she said.