Valemount Councillor, Hollie Blanchette, NH Robson Valley Health Services Administrator Debbie Strang, NH Public Health nurse, Adele Ford, NH Mental Health and Addictions clinician, Heather Whalen       photo courtesy NH

Valemount, BC – In one year, residents in Valemount have pooled their pedometers in a challenge to 'walk around the world' for wellness…

The 94 participants in the program – 10-percent of the community's population – have taken more than 48-million steps, totalling 36,615-kilometres…less than 13-thousand kilometres from their goal.  And the health benefits have been measurable, as well.

"A cool part of the program is you're contributing to a collective goal, but also tracking your individual distance," says Northern Health's Robson Valley Health Services Administrator, Debbie Strang.  "In the one year I have been participating, I have personally walked to Swift Currrent.  It is the personal and group challenge that we're hoping people will be drawn into, in an effort to increase participation."

Six patients have been tracked biannually to see how their participation in the program has improved their health – emergency department visits have decreased from nine prior to the program to zero, five have lowered their blood sugar, and four have reported improved mental health.  Strang says the peer-driven approach and encouragement has been touted as the reason for success.

Valemount Councillor, Hollie Blanchette says the local Healthy Communities committee wanted to come up with a program that was easy for residents to participate in and was accessible to all.  "When developing the program, encouraging residents to go for a walk seemed like an activity that could be effectiving in gaining participation and support from the community."

Village residents are encouraged to sign up for the program through the committee, their steps and distance are then tracked online and on a community board to show how far they've walked.  The committee's goal is to increase community participation to 30-percent by 2016.  By that point, it's likely they'll be on their second lap around the globe.