BY LEON B. CREWS
Sentinel Staff Writer

When Cornelius Pate, Sr. decided he wanted to shed a few pounds last year, he discovered there weren’t any weight devices that were adjustable.

“What I wanted was something I could hold in my hand, and be able to adjust the weight without changing the device. That’s when I came up with the concept for fitness sticks.

“Fitness sticks are a pair of hand-held weights that can be made lighter or heavier by removing some of the weight bars inside.”
Pate spent a year working on his fitness sticks, and has developed a prototype.

“That’s when I heard that Wal-Mart was giving inventors an opportunity to get their products on their shelves. They started out with 5,000 inventors, and now I’m among the 1,000 that will enter the next phase.

“I contacted an engineer to design the fitness sticks for me, and I’ve gotten them patented and trademarked. I’ve introduced them to sporting good stores in the area, and they were all very receptive.”

Pate said his wife, Lyette, has been very helpful in helping him with his invention, and taking care of their five children.

“My wife and I have been married for 25 years, and we both are college graduates. I need people to go on the Wal-Mart website, and vote for them to adopt my fitness sticks. The contest ends September 3rd, and my website is http://www.fitnesssticks.com/.”

Pate is an Associate Pastor at Freedom M.B. Church.