Cheryl Bartmanovich

Cheryl is an active member of the runningmania.com message board. I met her first on the running room board before the heavy hand of censorship drove many to seek refuge elsewhere, but I digress.

I first met Cheryl with a crew of other mainiacs at my first road race earlier this winter. She loves to have fun and she's been having some more with a trip to Dr. Phil and now to Oprah. She's got quite the story and remains a humble kind woman.




Oprah's follow ups show


Winnipeg Sun - Runner shed 100+ lbs. - content below.


A Manitoba woman who lost more than 100 pounds through marathon running has shared her story with Oprah Winfrey.

Interlake resident Cheryl Bartmanovich flew to Chicago a few weeks ago to make an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Her interview with the talk-show superstar is scheduled to air today.

Bartmanovich's appearance comes almost two years since she saw Oprah's interview with Wynonna Judd about her struggles with weight -- an interview so inspiring, the then-265 pound 44-year-old bought a treadmill.

TRAVELLED FAR

"Almost a year to the day, I ran my first half-marathon," Bartmanovich said this week.

The mother of two from Lake Francis -- about an hour's drive north of Winnipeg -- has traveled far both physically and emotionally in the last two years.

She's done six half-marathons and a full 26-mile challenge since she decided to buy a treadmill, dropping more than 100 pounds through a rigid running schedule and what she describes as a "sensible" diet, limiting breads and loading up on veggies (but banning potatoes of any sort).

Bartmanovich has fond memories of the first time she went to her husband's company's annual holiday bash after her transformation. She said it took a few hours to realize his long-time co-workers weren't ignoring her; they were having a tough time figuring out who he'd brought.

But better than wearing a slinky black dress to a Christmas party -- and weighing less than she did when she got married -- was the feeling of finishing her first full marathon alongside the world-famous Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii.

"A fantastic place for a holiday but a little warm for a Manitoba girl like me to run a marathon," she said.

Producers for Oprah's show first spotted Bartmanovich about a year ago, when she appeared on Dr. Phil. Bartmanovich credits, in part, advice from a book written by Dr. Phil McGraw for encouraging her to get into shape.

She said having the chance to talk with Oprah, who she described as "down to earth," was a once-in a-lifetime experience.

"It was an experience I'll never forget," said Bartmanovich. "When you meet Oprah in person, she's exactly the same."

It's expected Bartmanovich's appearance will include a segment where a personal letter from Judd to Bartmanovich is read.

But Bartmanovich sounds most excited about her next trip. She plans to head to Phoenix, Ariz., for an Arthritis Society fundraising marathon -- a charity close to her heart since her father and a close friend suffer from the disease.

"I'm running for those who can't, and hopefully making a difference," Bartmanovich said.