Conquering the Challenge
We did it; the DSA Team has accomplished the STEPtember Challenge! It was a mission, but with a lot of preparation, determination, and support, we have completed our 10,000 steps a day for 28 days during September, whilst fundraising for a great cause.
R U OK? DAY fell on the 10th September, and the DSA Team took the opportunity to call up our entire Membership, asking the quick yet powerful question of “R U OK?”. Gill improvised; put on her trainers, and completed her steps whilst on the phone. What a great way to utilise the occasion of checking in on others whilst also, looking after her own well-being. Physical exercise, getting outside in the spring weather and staying connected virtually to those around you is incredibly important in times where meeting and greeting is not done physically.
Our team culture is collaborative, we’re enthusiastic about charities and monitoring our Mental Health. We are all incredibly proud of our efforts and successes, so we’ve spent time over the October Long Weekend relaxing, and reflecting on our thoughts and realisations throughout the month. Although together we are a well-oiled team, we differentiated when it came to completing our daily steps: Gill completing her steps at 6 am whilst watching a gorgeous, coastal sunrise, Paul cycling along to the Tour de France, Adele gardening in her backyard, and Rhiannon joining a local Soccer team. International CEO Joni Rogers-Konte shared on a recent webinar inspired us with her extensive diary and spoke about one of her keys to success; scheduling.
We quickly came to realise the importance of scheduling as working from home has reduced our commute. COVID-19 has ultimately changed the way we move, from the less incidental walking to public transport or walking to get our mid-day coffees. This showed dramatically when Rhiannon had completed only 15 steps before our Team Meeting at [9:30] am. Whether it was preparing to walk before, during, or after work; or in Gill’s case – “one night I found myself walking around my kitchen countertop before going to bed just to hit the mark”.
We all have had our different experiences with completing our steps for this challenge, Paul “I walked with my fiancé, my teenage daughter and alone. I wandered the house just before bed in frenzied circles when I was a few steps shy of my goal”. Gill “I learnt that a 4km walk = 6,000 steps = 45 minutes; the beach is amazing at 6.00 am in spring and who knew so many dogs lived locally”. Rhiannon “I loved clocking in my 10,000 steps a day and smiling at my screen in happiness that I achieved the daily challenge” and Adele; “I found I was active on the weekends when at the snow Skiing with family, or when I was out in the garden”. Our individual ways of completing the challenge sparked a mixture of diverse conversations during daily Team Meetings.
There were moments of laughter, sharing of selfies and even confessions from those days where we felt unmotivated and tired, and the answer to “How did you go with achieving your steps?” was: “not so great”. Although our team was not physically together while completing the challenge; we all share the same positive memory of charitable, communal participation.
Over the last month our tightly knit team grew closer, through the supportive, inspiring, and motivating group dynamic of giving. STEPtember challenged us to step out of our comfort zone, change our routines and allowed us as individuals and a group to increase our well-being and empower each other to succeed. Even though STEPtember is over, team DSA will keep on walking.
Article by: The DSA Team
