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SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, June 11, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, June 11, 2007
CONTACT: Larissa Skjonsberg, (605) 773-3737
Hit the Trail challenge walkers circle the earth six times
PIERRE, S.D. – Outdoor lovers who used the Mickelson Trail during the month of May had a lot of company in cyberspace. Nearly 900 individuals and more than 160 teams logged steps on a virtual Mickelson Trail as part of the latest Healthy South Dakota Hit the Trail Challenge.
“This was the most popular Healthy South Dakota challenge yet and we had great participation,” said Larissa Skjonsberg, Cardiovascular Health Coordinator for the Department of Health. “People really seemed to enjoy tracking their steps and marking their progress on the Mickelson Trail.”
Gray said teams of all sizes from across the state participated in the challenge, from small family teams to large worksite teams and church teams. Perhaps the most unique team was the Trail Ridge Trailblazers from Sioux Falls, a nursing home group with members ranging in age from 50 to 92.
During the month-long challenge, participants recorded 289 million steps, or about six times around the earth. Fifty-five teams and 184 individuals averaged at least 218,000 steps, the equivalent of the entire 109-mile Mickelson Trail.
Some highlights from the challenge follow:
- Team with the highest total steps – Augustana College, Sioux Falls, 14,306,834 steps
- Team with the highest average number of steps – Brewster’s Steppers, Pierre
- Team with the most members who logged steps – Augustana College, 50 members
- Individual with the highest number of total steps – Jessica Lee, Huron
To help walkers keep track of their steps, the department gave out more than 2,700 pedometers on a first come, first serve basis. At the close of the challenge, the department also did a random drawing of participants, and chose the following 10 individuals to receive a South Dakota State Park pass or a Mickelson Trail pass:Carrie Anderson, Sioux Falls; Shannon Brenner-Malone, Pierre; Becky Burke, Pierre; Deb Haak, Plankinton; Janet Herman, Aberdeen; Valerie Lietz, Sioux Falls; Amber Morrell, Rapid City; Angie Olmsted, Huron; Trish Peck, Bison; and Brian Zirpel, Harrisburg.
Nutrition and physical activity challenges are offered several times a year through the department’s www.healthysd.gov website.