Staff enjoy Sea2Sea challenge

All the staff at Timaru's Agriculture Industry Training Organisation office recall doing the recent Sea2Sea physical activity challenge as a positive experience. Among them are (from left) territory manager Kevin Scannell, customer relationship adviser Staz Davey, South Island sales consultant Kim Hanlin, key account manager Roger Irvine and training adviser Jock McKeown, all of Timaru.

By the end of the six-week challenge, some were tightening their belts, while others had been motivated to give up smoking.

The physical activity event ended on Friday.

The Sea 2 Sea Challenge ran from September 28 to November 6.

It is an annual Push Play initiative that aims to encourage people to be more regularly active.

All seven members of staff at the AgITO office got involved in the challenge, recording their daily exercise on their Sea2Sea wall chart.

Manager Kevin Scannell , of Timaru, could tighten his belt by three notches after doing the challenge.

He ran or walked for an hour on most of the days of the challenge.

"It was worthwhile for everyone. I'd do it again," he said.

Customer relationship adviser Staz Davey, of Timaru, said doing the challenge had helped her to give up smoking.

"It would not have been as easy to give up if I had not done it. It gave me something else to focus on."

Though training adviser Jock McKeown, of Timaru, had not yet given up smoking completely, he said he had "hugely reduced" the number of cigarettes he smoked per day.

Before doing the challenge, he smoked about 15 cigarettes a day, but now he smoked only about two or three.

The challenge had helped him to realise the effect smoking was having on his health.

"Doing exercise made me realise my lungs weren't in too flash a condition."

Mr McKeown said he still planned to give up smoking.

Ms Davey said the Sea2Sea challenge pushed those who were fit to do more exercise and encouraged those who did not exercise at all to get active.

"It was a good drive to get back into fitness," Ms Davey said.

Her exercise during the six-week challenge included joining the gym and doing a Spin Class, walking to work, dancing and taking part in runs and marathons.

Some days she did not feel like doing any exercise, but being committed to the challenge kept her going.

Ms Davey said she would definitely do the challenge again, as she enjoyed its competitiveness and how it helped with team-building at the office.

"We had some great discussions in the mornings about what exercise we had done."

The AgITO staff said they had formed some positive exercising habits from doing the challenge.

Ms Davey has now bought a gym membership and continues to walk to work.

- Cerisse Denhardt.