Photo Provided Community Fitness Challenge runner-up Nick Sparachane exercises on a machine at the Ryan Ferns Healthplex during the competition.

WHEELING — The 21 participants knew the Community Fitness Challenge involved fierce competition, but no one anticipated it would take two tie-breakers to crown the winner.

Winner Mark Peluchette and runner-up Nick Sparachane are surprised by their strong finish, but both are convinced of the fitness challenge’s worth. Plus, their efforts are paying off for the community in a variety of ways.

At the end of an intensive 12-week program of exercise and nutrition education, Peluchette and Sparachane were tied for first place. Ryan Ferns, owner of the Ryan Ferns Healthplex in Benwood, created the customized program and developed two tie-breaking measurements. After applying the first tie-breaker, both finalists remained tied; however, Peluchette emerged victorious on the second tie-breaker.

As the winner, Peluchette, president of Liberty Distributors in Triadelphia, claimed a $21,000 prize for his designated charity, Wheeling Central Catholic High School.

The Central graduate requested that the prize money be used for tuition assistance. He said, “They have a lot of good things going on there. I was thrilled to death to be able to help.”

Peluchette, 51, had no idea that he would win the inaugural event. Regarding community-wide impact of the challenge, he said, “I hope it spurs people getting off the couch and getting out there.”

Sparachane, owner of Undo’s Restaurants in the Ohio Valley, has created a new fitness menu for Undo’s based on what he learned from nutrition classes taught by Kathi Leonard during the program.

He said, “I am also promoting community fitness and health … It’s a benefit for the valley to offer some nutritious meals that offer the latest in nutrition science.”

The restaurateur said, ‘I had always tried to read about and be educated about modern nutrition. That was an extra added benefit (of the challenge) … Our culinary team experimented with some of the modern dishes. It was very beneficial for a small family business like our to be able to get that insight. We’re small enough to be able to incorporate that.”

Sparachane, 62, said, “I thought the program was very well managed. It’s just a great concept. Everyone was really into raising money for charity. It was more motivation for me to work harder than anything I’ve ever done. But I really enjoyed it.”

David H. McKinley, president and managing director of McKinley Carter Wealth Services, founded the Community Fitness Challenge and competed in the event. Based on the success of the inaugural challenge, organizers hope to offer another round.

McKinley said, “I couldn’t have been happier with how it all came together. Our mission was to positively influence the community and show people ways that the leadership of our community can find a balance between our business and family and personal obligations and show our support for the community also through charitable designation.”

Participants competed on behalf of a charity of their choosing. Each competitor donated $1,000 to the charity pool.

Assessing the fitness project’s impact, McKinley said, “I think it’s been very effective. I think we’ve created certainly lots of interesting conversations in our workforce and generally in our community.”

Sparachane said, “I’m really hoping that the program continues. It’s good for the whole community. It can only benefit the entire community.”

The challenge incorporated the CrossFit fitness regimen, which was new to Peluchette and Sparachane. Both men intend to continue the intensive workouts.

Peluchette works out four or five days a week at his own gym, Total Athlete in Triadelphia. He said, “I’ve never really done CrossFit before. Normally I do interval training. CrossFit was definitely brand new to me. It started off the first month or so not as difficult. The last six weeks were really difficult. It got more difficult as time went on.”

Sparachane, who works out and jogs, said he learned a lot from the CrossFit program and weekly nutrition class. Sessions at the healthplex started at 5 a.m. He said, “I liked that part of it. It was a very disciplined program. It motivated you, and the trainers helped you work on proper form.”

Peluchette said, “We were with a determined bunch of people, a great group of people who motivated each other. They were trying to help everyone. Everyone had their own personal goals, but there was a spirit of cooperation and camaraderie.”

Sparachane said, “I enjoyed the competitive nature. There were great people in that program, some wonderfully fit people in that program. It was a wonderful way to feed off each other.”

In addition to Peluchette, Sparachane, McKinley and Ferns, the other competitors were Jim Pennington, president and CEO of The Health Plan; Lisa Allen, president and CEO of Ziegenfelder Co.; Lawrence Bandi, president of Wheeling Central Catholic High School; Michael Caruso, president and CEO of Ohio Valley Health Services & Education; Todd Clossin, president and CEO of WesBanco Inc.; the Rev. James Fleming, president of Wheeling Jesuit University; Stephen Greiner, president of West Liberty University; Wheeling Fire Chief Larry Helms; Dr. David Hess, CEO of Reynolds Memorial Hospital; Danielle McCracken, president of Oglebay Institute; Kim Miller, superintendent of Ohio County Schools; Bryan Minor, executive director of communications and development at the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston; John Reasbeck, president of Omni Strategic Technologies; Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger; Rob Sincavich, president of Team Sledd; Erikka Storch, president of Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, and Will Turani, director of IT operations at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.