Fitness Important To Grandfathers

Photo by Joselyn King

Steve Quickel, left, group fitness instructor at the Wheeling YMCA, and Bruce Teachout, Ohio County Commission office, ready themselves for the Tough As Nails Urban Challenge on Sunday.

WHEELING – Two friends have been into fitness for decades, and today they continue their efforts for their grandchildren.

Bruce Teachout, 67, is an employee of the Ohio County Commission who first started running when he was in high school.

Steve Quickel, 59, is his fitness instructor at the Wheeling YMCA.

“You have to challenge yourself every day,” Quickel said. “It’s all about work ethic. Bruce has been coming to my classes for over 20 years, and he puts 100% effort into everything he does.”

The pair ran the half-marathon on Saturday during the Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend. Then on Sunday morning, Teachout also competed in the Wheeling Heritage Trail Bicycle tour. The pair then joined up again for the “Tough As Nails Urban Challenge” in Wheeling.

Quickel isn’t yet into biking, but Teachout is trying to inspire him to join him.

Teachout participated in all three events both last year and this year.

Quickel said he became serious about fitness nearly two decades ago after his father passed away from emphysema attributed to smoking. He vowed then to stop smoking and get healthy.

“And now I’m a papa,” he continued. “I have to stay around for my grandchildren. … If the unforeseen happens, I can say I did my best to stay healthy.”

Teachout noted he gets the same inspiration from his grandchildren.

“If you are going to live, you want to be healthy,” he said. “We’ll be out here again next year.”