Be active. Eat right.
That was the message the Texans conveyed during Tuesday morning's Get Fit with TORO event presented by Texas Children's Hospital at Valley Oaks Elementary.
Get Fit with TORO, an educational assembly that teaches students about the importance of fitness and nutrition, kicked off with TORO zooming in on a Segway to the cheers of over 300 students where he then brought kids one by one to the front of the room for an impromptu dance contest.
Voice of the Texans Marc Vandermeer, defensive end J.J. Watt, wide receiver Cecil Shorts and Texans cheerleaders joined the event through a video call with encouraging messages. Watt advised the students to be active and play for 60 minutes a day, while Shorts talked about eating healthy by using the plate method (half plate of fruits and veggies, quarter plate of meat, quarter plate of starches like rice and potatoes), to drink lots of water and to eat breakfast every day to give the body the fuel it needs throughout the day.
A game of trivia followed, where students were quizzed with questions about the Texans and what they learned about staying fit while earning prizes for correct answers. But the biggest surprise of all came next, when safety Rahim Moore entered from behind the stage where he happily shared his story about how he stays fit and eats well.
"You never know who you're mentoring or who you're giving back to or who you might inspire," Moore said. "I'm excited that I came. I just try to share my story to tell them to always work hard and stay active and to eat right because you never know what they might become. I was once that kid. It's truly a blessing to be here and I'm looking forward to doing it more often."
As a kid, Moore stayed active be participating in a wide variety of sports including baseball, track, swimming and football. Thanks to his Mom's urging, it served a purpose greater than just staying fit.
"That's what kept me out of trouble," Moore said. "I thank my Mom for doing that. My Mom stayed on me. She was a great parent."
While Moore took much delight in surprising all the students, the moment filled with smiles and cheers caught him a bit off guard, too.
"I was surprised, for a guy that's new to the team," Moore said. A lot of people were eyes big and eyes wide open, so it's definitely something I'll never forget."
