HIGH POINT – Less than a year after suffering a heart attack, Sandy Hand will run a half marathon.

So will Andrea Nance, a diabetic who requires an insulin pump to maintain normal blood sugar levels.

Also running will be Brooks Nash, a formerly out-of-shape insurance agent who has lost 24 pounds – and counting – in his quest for a healthier lifestyle.

They’re all participants in “The Lucky 13 Challenge,” a fitness program designed to help 13 physically unfit men and women train to run 13 miles – specifically, the North Carolina Half Marathon, which will be held Saturday in High Point, in conjunction with the North Carolina Marathon.

“Our main goal was to take the everyday person, whether they were doing any exercising or not, and bring them to a point where they could finish this half marathon,” says Steve Golinski, an exercise physiologist with The Fitness Center at High Point Regional Health System, which is sponsoring the challenge. “The idea is to show people this is something everyone can do with a little organization and dedication.”

The journey began in November, when would-be participants wrote letters explaining why they wanted to join the challenge. Golinski selected the winners and provided them with a four-month training regimen that would prepare them for Saturday’s run.

“They were apprehensive,” Golinski says, “but I’ve tried to reinforce that if they followed the plan, things would take care of themselves. Their job was just to keep working at it week by week.”

And that’s what they’ve done. Except for a few individuals who had to drop out for various reasons, the “Lucky 13” participants have trained hard and have the results to prove it.

Consider Sandy Hand, for example, a 45-year-old High Point man who suffered a heart attack last June. Since joining the health system’s Heart Strides program for cardiac rehabilitation – and then being chosen for “The Lucky 13” – Hand has lost 41 pounds and lowered his body-fat percentage from 33 to 22. He has significantly reduced the amount of blood-pressure medicine he requires, and he has “10 times more energy.”

He ran 13 miles last Sunday and believes he’s ready for the half marathon.

“It’s been difficult,” he says, explaining that he’s had to deal with blisters, sore knees and even the agony of becoming a morning person so he would be able to fit in his workouts. “I definitely admire people who can run 26 miles, much less 13, but this is a challenge I really wanted to do. I knew it would help with some drastic lifestyle changes I needed to make.”

Andrea Nance, a 46-year-old Thomasville woman, also found “The Lucky 13” to be a daunting challenge, but one she embraced. A diabetic for the past 26 years, she wanted to begin exercising more to take better care of her body.

“I wanted to be a more healthy me, and this was kind of a jump-start for me to do that,” Nance says. “I didn’t even think I would be chosen because of my disease, so I was thrilled to be chosen. This has been just a wonderful opportunity for me to get the proper training, and proper training is so key in any type of exercise program.”

Following Golinski’s training regimen, Nance has lost about 13 pounds and has significantly lowered the amount of insulin her body requires. Her longest training run has been 12 miles, and she feels confident about Saturday’s race.

“Sometimes I’m not sure if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, but I think that’s just nerves,” she says. “I’m confident that with the training I’ve had, I’ll be able to cross the finish line.”

Brooks Nash feels equally confident. The 45-year-old Trinity man has lost 24 pounds since he began training, and last weekend he ran nearly 12 miles, so he feels great about the progress he’s made.

“I knew I was overweight, and I didn’t want to live like that anymore,” Nash says. “Thirteen miles is a long way to run, and I knew I wasn’t in good shape, but I was committed full force, I followed the program, and I think the results have been very positive.”

Nash doesn’t know what his time will be Saturday, but that doesn’t matter.

“I feel confident that I can complete the race,” he says. “You may have to wait around a while to see me cross the finish line, but finishing is my primary goal, and I’ll get there.”

That confidence must be music to Golinski’s ears.

“It’s been fun watching everybody progress,” he says. “I know most everybody has lost weight and made some drastic changes in their lifestyle.”