About Us
VIGORworks, LLC and its non-profit sister company, the Marion Walker & Mercedes Botts (MWMB) Youth Foundation, are committed to bringing healthy lifestyles education to individuals from all walks of life. Created in 2002, VIGORworks, LLC was established to plug individuals into a healthy lifestyle in creative ways that are fun and enjoyable.
The Youth Challenge, created in 2006 by VIGORworks' owner and fitness entrepreneur Samuel Botts, is one of the first comprehensive fitness and nutrition programs for teens in Pennsylvania to be offered to families receiving state funded Medical Assistance as a fully covered benefit. Today only a very small and limited handful of programs of this type in Pennsylvania are available as a covered service to individuals under 21 years of age. VIGORworks is proud to say that it was the first.
Studies show that in terms of rates of occurrence of overweight and obesity, African-American and Latino children from underserved inner city neighborhoods represent the most disproportionately affected groups. Many dynamics exist which can be attributed to giving rise to this disparity, however traditional programs have failed to really address the problem in a way that promotes efficacy and sustainability. Recognizing an opportunity to help kids live healthier lives, the Youth Challenge was created to address this epidemic within these communities in a fashion that is both age and culturally appropriate.
The Youth Challenge formula is simple: Develop healthy teens through Education, Example and Experience. This is our guiding mantra as we continuously seek to identify new and exciting ways to get teens on track to live a fulfilling life as healthy adults. We do this by capturing the attention of adolescents and showing them how participating in regular physical activity and healthy eating can be fun while making their lives better. When teens internalize attitudes about healthy living, they are more likely to continue this behavior as adults.
As one of only a small handful of programs offered as a covered service by state Medicaid insurers, the Youth Challenge helps remove the barriers of costs which make it difficult to access programs for weight management. Our goal is to be able to serve teens in cities across the United States. The more teens we are able to help, the greater the impact of healthy living can be felt not only by the participants in our program but on the entire healthcare system in general. If you are interested in having the Youth Challenge come to your neighborhood, please click here to contact us.
About the Creator of the Youth Challenge Teen Weight Management Program
Samuel Botts is a serial entrepreneur with an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, engineering degrees from Georgia Tech and the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College. He also sits on the Pennsylvania Governor’s Council on Physical Education and Sports. His passion for fitness and deep seated desire to ensure that children are able to live happy lives with a strong sense of pride, self-esteem and empowerment led to his creation of the Youth Challenge program. Combining his business acumen with his desire to help people, Mr. Botts infused his passion into the underlying principles of the Youth Challenge, making the program one of the unique programs of its type.
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What People Say
I was looking for a program my son Billy and I could do together as a family. We really are eating healthier and exercising together. He seems more self-confident already!