20,000km. At the start of the year, when we launched ‘Tradewind’s Tour of Australia’, it seemed like an ambitious undertaking. But now in August and two-thirds of the way there, we’re certainly on track to reach our goal of circumnavigating Australia (virtually speaking, of course!). So, for those who are wondering what all this is about…here’s a quick update on what we’ve been doing.
Born from the idea of improving the team’s health and wellbeing – as the title suggests – we set our sights on a mammoth trip. The brief was simple: From 1st January to 31st December, we keep track of the kilometres that everyone is walking, running and cycling – combining everyone’s efforts into one single journey. Naturally, we are a competitive bunch, so it’s no surprise to see five team members exceed 500km, and even a couple who have hit the 1,000km mark!
Not only has the initiative allowed us to visualize exactly how far we are going, but it has also proven to be a great way to kickstart healthy habits (through things like walking groups and charity runs). A number of people have even changed their daily routines – below are some of the insights from the team around what they’ve been doing as individuals:
“I have started walking home from work a minimum of one day per week! I also now get off the tram one stop earlier which means I walk a bit further. It has definitely got me thinking of simple changes we can make to move more.”
Lucy Evans
“They say reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. I can’t run and read at the same time, but I can listen to podcasts. All this extra exercise has been a great opportunity to listen to my two favourite podcasts, The Wheel of Sport Podcast and The Chosen Brew Beer Podcast.”
Matt Lavery
“Since participating in our journey around Australia, I now avoid all public transport and walk to and from work every day. I often use the Yarra Trail as a detour and occasionally socialise with friends on Southbank on the way home as an added benefit.”
David Rogers
“I have cycled to work at least twice a week since we began our trek. Prior to the initiative, I had the best intentions but often fell short and jumped in the car. This has helped me take this positive step as I have found that contributing to a greater goal is the motivation I needed.”
Hope Collins
“When stopping on the way home to get groceries, I now walk the rest of the way home instead of getting back on the tram. It has made me realise how much walking I do daily without trying and how easy it is to add just a little bit extra each day!”
Laura Koefoed
“I’ve started getting off a stop early on the way home and listening to some tunes for the walk. I find this gets me into a much more zen frame of mind for coming into a house full of boys, while also getting my steps up too.”
George Richards
Are we going to make it back home? So, with more than 12,500km down and about 7,500km to go, it’s shaping up to be a tight finish (let’s hope we don’t have to start running marathons to make it!). Did you know we’ve just released the report from our first Teacher Wellbeing Survey? If you’d like a copy, please get in touch.