17 November 2005
Eight Monash university staff have put their feet up for a well earned rest after racking up more than 27 million steps to be declared the winners of an international walking race over five-and-a-half months.
The team won the 2005 Global Corporate Challenge that involved 1430 teams in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and US.
Between 26 May and 8 November, all participants "virtually" walked from Arnhem Land to Antarctica.
The Global Corporate Challenge is in its second year and encourages people to improve their health and wellbeing by competing against other teams in a "virtual" walking race. Monash entered only one team.
Mr Martin Doulton, general manager, Monash Sport, was a member of the university's winning team. "Prior to entering the Global Corporate Challenge most of our members each walked about 18,000 steps a day," Mr Doulton said. "Once the Challenge started we thought we would 'up the ante' and see how much we could do."
They were pleasantly surprised to find their individual average was 23,065 steps -- about 15 kilometres -- a day. Over the five-and-a-half months of competition the team walked more than 27.5 million steps.
"Our team should be proud of its contribution to the massive combined event total of over 15 billion steps in this year's Global Corporate Challenge," Mr Doulton said.
"We got to within half a million steps of the actual finish line," he said.
Mr Doulton said the team walked mornings, lunch times and evenings to achieve its goal. He said they all enjoyed improved health and well being as a result of their efforts.
Apart from Mr Doulton, who works across all Monash campuses, the rest of the team were Caulfield campus staff. They were: Ms Jill Grogan, Dr Bala Balachandran, Ms Margaret Croxford, Ms Louise Oliaro, Mr Peter Lausch, Ms Rosemary Demirtas, and Ms Lorraine Foxall.
For more information contact Ms Robyn Anns, Media Communications, Monash University on +613 9905 9317 or 0417 568 781; or Mr Martin Doulton +613 9905 8801.
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