UFN Inverno 2013

Olympians for Worldwide Fitness

©Lexington Herald-Leader
27/03/2013

[1] With an increase in sedentary lifestyles,
obesity amongst children has become a grow-

ing concern in many countries around the
world. In the United States, three time Olympic
[5] medalist in swimming and medical doctor Gary
Hall Sr, decided to do something about it.
He co-founded World Fit, a foundation which
encourages children in schools across America to
get active. Using his Olympic experience and net-

[10] work, a simple concept was developed: an Olym-

pian is paired with a school and challenges its stu-

dents and teachers to walk 60 miles in 40 days to
get them fit.
"Walking is an accessible, affordable way to
[15] exercise; you just need a pair of shoes and a goal,"
says Hall, now Executive Director of the founda-

tion. "As humans, we are designed to walk and it is
one of the best forms of exercise."
Over 300 Olympians and Paralympians have
[20] registered so far to adopt a school. Once they are
assigned a school, they speak annually to its stu-

dents about the importance of physical fitness
activities and a healthy lifestyle and encourage the
students to participate in the World Fit Walk, held
[25] each spring.
"An Olympian, regardless of the year he/she
competed or whether or not he/she ever won a
medal, is a hero to every school student in Amer-

ica," says Hall. "What better inspiration than to
[30] have an Olympian adopt your school and students
for life?"
Since the first World Fit Walk in 2009, 52,399
students from 75 different schools across the
United States have logged in a total of 5,033,919
[35] miles (8,101,307 kilometres) during the six-week
program.
World Fit is currently looking to introduce its
program into Europe in 2014 in partnership with

the International Academy of Sports Science and
[40] Technology (AISTS), a not-for-profit educational
institute based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
"We strongly believe that World Fit brings huge
value not only to children but also to the schools
and the community they live in," says Geert
[45] Hendriks, AISTS Sports Development Manager.
"The great thing is that the program is also attrac-

tive and accessible for children who do not neces-

sarily enjoy sport or have physical barriers to over-

come."
[50] What makes World Fit work is the right dy-

namics of motivation, inspiration and competition
that make it fun. Students can log their miles elec-

tronically on the World Fit website, which keeps
track for them and compares how they are doing
[55] with other students and schools in their region. A
"buddy" system lets them collect miles from outside
participants, for example teachers, parents or
siblings who walk along with them and the World
Fit social media sites allow them to upload their
[60] photos and share their efforts.
"The best time for us to try to establish a life-

long habit of good exercise is with children.
Students are still in their formative years when
encouragement and role models can make a life-

[65] long impact," says Hall. "A little bit of exercise goes
a long way toward improving overall health."
Source: http://www.olympic.org/news/olympians-for-worldwide-fitness/195314