Ozarka College Logs Over 10,000 Miles In Fitness Challenge

During the fall semester Ozarka College faculty, staff, students, members of the community, and children from Ozarka Kids Academy all pitched in to collectively log more than 10,000 miles for the grant-funded Australian Walkabout Fitness Challenge. Ozarka College received a mini-grant from the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas to implement the fitness challenge in hopes of incentivizing employee wellness as well as encouraging healthier lifestyles in the community at large. "Anytime we can help Arkansans to participate in healthy activities, everyone benefits," said Patrick O'Sullivan, executive director of the Blue & You Foundation. "Nothing affects so many parts of our lives as our health, and even small steps can add up to make a difference in the health of our citizens." In conjunction with the Ozarka College Diversity Committee's annual International Day programming, the fitness challenge was developed around this year's Australian theme. Specifically, the program challenged participants to take a journey to a healthier life by collectively logging 8,675 miles, enough to circle the entire island continent of Australia. During the thirteen-week journey, 129 participants contributed to the cause ultimately surpassing its initial mileage target. In addition to the exercise component, participants were issued healthy vacation itineraries and wellness bulletins as they approached each of eight Australian milestone cities along the way. Each itinerary included vacation fitness activities for the location, including hiking, swimming, kayaking, and more, a reminder that vacation can be as healthy as it is fun. Each itinerary also included a wellness bulletin to increase awareness about common conditions which can be helped or even avoided by adopting healthier lifestyles. Diversity committee chair, Joshua Wilson added, "I am very proud of our College and the surrounding community for their tremendous efforts throughout this program. Surpassing 10,000 miles pushed us well past our target and is a testament to the support, not to mention the work ethic of folks in our communities. I have hopes that the fitness challenge only added to the cultural enrichment experience of International Day Australia and encouraged participants to continue to live healthy lives." ###