After wrapping up the eleventh annual Schuyler Steps Out community walking challenge with a repeat winner – the Schuyler County Humane Society – last month, Schuyler Hospital is now awarding Most Improved and Most Valuable Walkers.
Nominated by their teammates, the awardees are Catharine Relation of the Schuyler Hospital team, Most Improved; and Miles Frederick of the Humane Society Team, Most Valuable.
Relation improved her cardiovascular endurance and fitness level, while enjoying the outdoors during her first spring in the Finger Lakes.
Frederick logged the most steps, motivated his teammates by inspiring friendly competition, and encouraged everyone to increase their steps.
The Humane Society team has been a tough competitor in the program since 2011. This year, with 14 walkers, they totaled 13.8 million total steps over the course of the 8-week program. They averaged 17,681 steps per person per day. The Humane Society took the lead in Week 1 of the program and never looked back. In Week 3, they hit a high of 2.1 million steps, or 21,501 steps per person per day!
Coming in second place was a new team – the “Muscle Bound SPINsters” of Grand Prix Fitness. With 7 walkers, they totaled 6.2 million steps, or an average of 15,889 steps per person per day over the 8 weeks. This team started out in 8th place, but quickly gained their footing, taking over 2nd place in Week 4 and putting the pressure on the first place team, but ran out of weeks to catch them.
In third was a perennial top finisher, the Wacky Walkers of Watkins High – who started in third and kept their steps up high enough to hold onto that position. The 12 member team totaled 8.6 million steps, averaging 12,836 steps per person per day.
In all, participating teams tallied 103.2 million total steps, or over 51.6 thousand miles – the equivalent of 2 trips around the Earth. Around 142 people from 11 teams participated in the 8-week program, developed to get people up and active in the late winter and early spring.
The program is sponsored by Schuyler Hospital and Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.
For more information on the Schuyler Steps Out program, contact Michelle Benjamin, Director of Community Relations at (607) 210-1950 or go to www.schuylerhospital.org