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Looking for a place to walk and enjoy the beautiful Connecticut landscape? Want to find a fun outdoor event? You’ve come to the right place.

WalkCT wants to put fellow Nutmeggers and visitors on the path to health and happiness by connecting them with our state’s rich outdoor offerings. No matter your age or activity level, there is a walk out there just for you. At WalkCT.org, walking locations, outdoor events, and healthy living resources are right at your fingertips.

WalkCT is a program of the

Spotlight

New Year, New Challenge

Sometimes a little healthy competition can jump-start us on our own path to health and happiness. Here is an idea from a local business that might offer some inspiration as we start the New Year.

     As part of Wallingford-based DNE Technologies’ Health and Wellness Initiative in 2009, the company hosted a Walk Across America Challenge. Each employee who volunteered to participate was given a pedometer. A Walk Clinic was held before the start of the challenge to measure each person’s pace and convert their steps to mile equivalents.

     Each week for 8 months, participants handed in their steps and their progress was charted on a large map located in the DNE cafeteria. Each person’s virtual location started in the company’s building in Wallingford and most people had specific destinations, such as San Diego, Miami, and Phoenix. Each month, the Top Ten walkers were tracked and from that group a $25 gift card was given to whoever walked the farthest. At the end of the Challenge, several larger prizes were awarded. The winner walked 1733.14 miles.

     About 2/3 of DNE’s workforce signed up for the Challenge. It boosted employee morale and the participants had a good time teasing each other about their progress (or lack thereof). In 2010, DNE expanded the program to a Run-Bike-Swim Challenge. Participants chose the activity they wanted to do (or a combination) as their virtual progress was charted along the Pacific Coast Highway. This Challenge was just as popular as the previous year’s and the winner walked 1486.5 miles in 6 months.

     If you are interested in implementing something similar at your workplace, remember that WalkCT lists over 110 walking locations around the state. Check out our Resources page for other useful tools as well. May this New Year be a happy and healthy one for all of us!

—Leslie Lewis, WalkCT Director

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