We are #TeamHealth
Follow two people on very different but equally important personal health journeys – both supported by Bupa over 12 months.
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Episode 5:
#TeamHealth The final challenge
In partnership with ParalympicsGB, our #TeamHealth series follows proud mum, Julie, and thriving para athlete, Emmanuel on their quest to achieve their health goals.
In our final #TeamHealth episode, we catche up with Julie, Emmanuel and their Team Health mentor, Richard Whitehead MBE, as they reflect on the last year and regroup for one final challenge.
Find out if proud mum, Julie, and rising star, para athlete, Emmanuel achieved their health goals.
Hi, I'm Richard Whitehead, Paralympic gold medalist.
And over the past year, I've been mentoring both Julie and Emmanuel, who started their team health journey together Since they caught up with their Bupa Health practitioners, They've made huge progress.
Now we're bringing them back together for one final challenge.
JULIE: How are you?
RICHARD: Look at you!
JULIE: Thank you.
RICHARD: Look at you, you look brilliant, look!
JULIE: I love doing exercise now.
It took a long, long time, but I had to like me again.
And I think that’s what this journey for me has been about liking what I am.
RICHARD: Seeing the Bupa practitioner, has that added value to your performance?
EMMANUEL: Yeah definitely, and one key thing that I was able to take from it was actually reducing my screen time on the console.
Now my brother has more time to jump on - So I’m hearing, like, every 10 seconds “Goal!
”, Another thing was being able to utilise my sleep to my advantage.
So, you know, now, I’m able to approach my training sessions with a lot more intensity, a lot more strength.
The last time I saw you my best time was 11.7.
now I'm at 10.9.
JULIE: A year later I've achieved all three of my goals.
To lose weight, to get my BMI down, and to get fit.
Five nights a week.
I go to the gym because I want to, not because I have to.
RICHARD: Have you set yourself some challenges along the way?
JULIE: I wanted to dance on the Blackpool Tower dance floor, and we did that, and then in a few weeks time, my husband and I are both doing a mini triathlon.
I am loving life.
RICHARD: It's been a great honour over the last year being your mentor.
To finish on, I’ve got one last challenge.
JULIE: Okay.
RICHARD: Follow me.
RICHARD: So let's do a little bit of warm up.
Let’s swing those arms.
This challenge is going to be a year's worth of everything you've learned.
Resilience, teamwork.
and what else?
EMMANUEL: Speed.
RICHARD: Speed.
Yes!
He's got it.
And so what we're going to do is we're going to have a piece of equipment.
EMMANUEL: An egg?!
RICHARD: It’s an egg.
RICHARD: And a spoon each.
EMMANUEL: And a spoon?
Right.
RICHARD: Who’s going to go first?
JULIE & EMMANUEL: Ladies first.
[Laughing] RICHARD: So Emmanuel first then.
JULIE: Go!
Come on Emmanuel, come on!
RICHARD: Mind that cone.
Now this is the hard bit.
JULIE: Teamwork, teamwork.
EMMANUEL: Off you go!
RICHARD: Go go go...
EMMANUEL: Final stretch Julie, dive for the line!
RICHARD: That’s is.
5, 4...
JULIE & RICHARD: Yeah!
[Laughs] EMMANUEL: Well done!
RICHARD: I think it's now time to have a treat.
And I think there's some people that you want me to meet as well?
EMMANUEL: Mum, this is Richard and this is Julie.
who's been stealing my spotlight.
JULIE: Hi!
[Laughs] EMMANUEL: And then, little bro.
RICHARD: Hi, how’s it going?
JULIE: This is my son Glen, my daughter Tia.
JULIE: My son Harry, my husband Richard.
RICHARD WHITEHEAD: How’s it going mate?
JULIE: And Evie and baby Theo.
E’s MUM: Since Emanuel has joined the Bupa family, He’s really inspired everybody.
The most important is the mental well-being.
EMMANUEL: The journal that you gave me it kind of gives my brain a bit of, fresh state of mind.
J’s HUSBAND: Team Health has made a huge benefit.
Not just to Julie, but to the whole family as well.
TIA: She seems happier now.
GLEN: We're all there for her as well.
HARRY: Seeing her and the progress she's made has made such a benefit to all of us.
RICHARD: Julie’s brought that energy.
Emmanuel’s brought that competitiveness.
And together that team will grow.
JULIE: I just want to keep going.
JULIE: I've loved it, the three of us.
RICHARD: It’s been awesome, well done.
[Laughing, clapping and cheering]
Our #TeamHealth mentor
From Paralympic gold in 2012 to breaking records at Tokyo 2020, Richard Whitehead MBE is a decorated athlete.
Seeing sport as the great unifier and leveller, Richard now uses his time and profile to encourage all kinds of different people to have greater belief in themselves. This passion and outlook makes him the perfect #TeamHealth mentor.
Chasing the Paralympic dream
At 21 years old, athlete Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker is already showing huge promise, with aspirations to achieve the world record in his para classification of T47.
However, Emmanuel narrowly missed out on a Paralympic debut in Tokyo when he failed to register the qualifying time he needed. It was a huge setback but now he’s working hard to raise his game with his heart set on the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
Time to put her health first
Julie's journey hasn't been short of turbulent moments. With a family history of bowel cancer, lung cancer, her husband's tumour scare, and her daughter's complex kidney surgery, she's had her fair share of worries. But now Julie is determined to embrace a healthier lifestyle.
At 53, Julie wants to reach a healthy BMI and finally focus on herself. That's where Bupa and our #TeamHealth mentor, Richard Whitehead MBE, come in. Supporting her with simple, sustainable diet changes and valuable advice through the menopause. All to help her reach the incredible milestone of living to 100.
Working together to champion inclusive workplaces
As the Official Healthcare Partner of Paralympics GB, we're proud to be working together to make workplaces more inclusive for disabled people.
We want to create more opportunities for businesses to play their part to champion change.
Join us and get involvedStart your own journey
Our health experts and ParalympicsGB athletes are here to help support your journey to a healthier, happier you.
Exercise and fitness
Whether you're a beginner or an enthusiast, we've got a range of information and articles to help.
Diet and nutrition
Eating well is essential to staying healthy. Our information can help you to enjoy a balanced and varied diet.
