Audit offices steps to fitness victory

(CNS): Fifty-eight civil servants took 9.3 million steps over 21 days in the first ever civil service ‘Pedometer Challenge’. The fitness programme designed to make civil servants aware of the benefits of healthy lifestyle practices, such as increased physical activity and changing eating habits saw the Office of the Auditor General take the top spot, painting a new image of the normally sedentary job of bean counting.

During the 21-day challenge, participants reported the steps that they took on a daily basis in a web-portal. They also attended educational sessions on topics that included fitness, nutrition and stress management, as well as taking part in biometric testing.

Coordinated by the Pedometer Challenge Committee (PCC) with the support of the Cayman Islands Civil Service Association, entrants came from smaller civil service entities, such as the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), Office of the Complaints Commissioner, Ministry of Health and Culture, Office of the Auditor General (OAG), Portfolio of the Civil Service (PoCS) and Government Information Services (GIS).

PCC also teamed up with lifestyle organisation, CaymanActive, to develop an open website – touted to be the first in the Caribbean – that enables workplaces to form teams to boost their collective physical activity.

“This is important because sedentary lifestyles contribute to increased risk of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes,” said PCC member Winston Sobers. “This in turn increases healthcare costs, curtails productivity and seriously impacts the quality of family life.”

As overall champions, the OAG team recorded 3.14 million steps, with Ruel Huet recording the most individual steps for a man with 872,229. The highest female stepper was Marcia Murray from the Ministry of Health and Culture, who totalled 420,652 steps. Cory Martinson from the ICO bagged the trophy for creating the best healthy shake/smoothie in a competition held earlier in the challenge. Patrick Smith, also from the winning OAG, won gold in the “Cayman Pride” competition, sponsored by DoT, for the best nature photo snapped while stepping.

A number of local businesses teamed up to provide the prizes for the winners that took part in the fitness effort.

Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose presents the Champions trophy to Auditor General Alastair Swarbrick and his team.