Walking Across the Shire This Winter

Media Release

Golden Plains Shire Council and YMCA Geelong have partnered in a new initiative to encourage Shire locals to get active this winter: the Golden Plains Shire Winter Walk Challenge.

Led by the YMCA, with support from Council’s Health and Wellbeing and Recreation teams, the Winter Walk Challenge encourages residents to challenge themselves to walk, ride, scoot or skate ‘virtually’ across the Shire.

There are three challenge goals, which correspond to the approximate distance between some of Golden Plains Shire’s townships:

  • 80km (from Bannockburn to Smythesdale);
  • 40km (from Meredith to Rokewood); and
  • 20km (from Dereel to Cape Clear).

The Winter Walk Challenge runs for eight weeks until 26 August 2020, with residents able to complete their challenge goal around their home or town at their own time and pacing. Spot prizes will be awarded throughout the course of the challenge.

To sign-up to the Winter Walk Challenge, residents can download the free Strava app and search ‘Winter Walk Challenge’, or visit goldenplains.vic.gov.au/events/winter-walk-challenge and follow the link. Residents will be able to track or enter their progress through the Strava app or web portal.

Mayor Cr Owen Sharkey encourages residents to give the Challenge a go and make sure they stay physically active over winter.

“The Winter Walk Challenge is an excellent and innovative initiative to encourage residents to keep up their physical activity during winter. Thank you to our friends at the YMCA Geelong for partnering with Council to get this uniquely Golden Plains challenge up and running.

“In the colder months, it’s often harder to find the motivation to get the runners on and head outside, so making exercise more fun and adding competition is a great way to give you that extra bit of motivation. I hope to see a plenty of Golden Plains locals join me in taking on the Winter Walk Challenge.”

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