YOU'RE OVER HALFWAY THERE

Miles for Wellness Challenge 32 is already over halfway through, and every team is crushing it. In weeks three and four, three new teams climbed to the highest division. Whether it's moving from Tortoise up to Hare, or advancing all the way to Bionic Hare, leveling up to a new division is an indication that your team is moving more — the ultimate sign of success in this challenge!

How did your team fare over the past two weeks? Download the team rankings sheet to find out. And, remember, you can visualize your team's progress using the maps on the Challenge 32 webpage.

REMINDER

If you missed the deadline to submit your team's steps, simply report your step count for weeks 1-6 during the next reporting period, Monday, November 3–Wednesday, November 5.

BIONIC HARE

1st: HSBIA Product Pushers

Captain: Brook Clements

Dept. of Health and Human Services

Total Steps: 6,000,975

2nd: BCAS Road Warriors 1

Captain: Jennie Vaughn

UNC Chapel Hill

Total Steps: 5,998,986

3rd: CHATHAM TROTTERS

Captain: Fleuretta McDougald

Dept. of Public Safety

Total Steps:5,529,188

SUPER HARE

1st: The System Steppers

Captain: Elysia Lash

UNC System Office
Total Steps: 4,098,510

2nd: Bearly Breaking A Sweat
Captain: Laurelle Dodson Ramos

Wildlife Resources Commission
Total Steps: 3,944,330

3rd: The Walk Pack

Captain: Nora Milley

NC State University

Total Steps: 3,926,248

HARE

1st: Titans

Captain: Esteban Soto

NC Community Colleges

Total Steps: 2,799,367

2nd: STEMpedes

Captain: Stefani DeBrosky

NC Community Colleges

Total Steps: 2,797,891

3rd: Team Watson-Brumit

Captain: Wendy Wilt

Appalachian State University

Total Steps: 2,794,493

TORTOISE

1st: Carolina Carnies

Captain: Cheryl Stellwag

Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources

Total Steps: 2,236,328

2nd: Debits & Steps

Captain: Alexander Gilliatt

UNC Chapel Hill

Total Steps: 2,226,578

3rd: whAIR's THE LEAK?

Captain: Alvaro Perdomo-Saez

Dept. of Environmental Quality

Total Steps: 2,202,289

HOW DIVISIONS ARE DETERMINED

Divisions are determined based on the average number of steps per week, per member, so teams compete against like-performing, similarly active teams throughout the challenge. To find the average steps for each division, refer to the FAQ section on our website.

HOW RANKINGS ARE DETERMINED

Rankings within a division are based on a team's total number of steps. Miles for Wellness is designed to promote teamwork and team building, so it's ideal to recruit a full team of 10 to increase the likelihood of winning within a division. Teams of less than 10 shouldn't be discouraged — there's always a way to improve! Many small but mighty teams strive to move up to a higher division or overcome full teams within their division. And remember, as long as you're building habits that promote daily physical activity, you're reaping the benefits of the challenge.

Congratulations to our current leaders! Click the button below to find out how your team measures up.

No matter where your team landed on the leaderboard, there's nothing better than knowing so many state employees are improving their health together.

BELOW ARE EXCITING HIGHLIGHTS & ENCOURAGEMENT:

• Shout out to the Virginia Vixens captained by Heather Rikli from UNC Charlotte, the Wellness Propellers-Chapter 2 captained by Sonya Frej from UNC Chapel Hill, the Loan Rangers captained by Cara Arena from UNC Greensboro, Walk on the Edge with Elections captained by Jeni Harris from NC Board of Elections, and BCAS Road Warriors 1 captained by Jennie Vaughn from UNC Chapel Hill, and Step Right Up 49ers captained by Kathy Giddings from UNC Charlotte. Over the past two weeks, someone from each of these teams participated in a marathon, ultra run, or other race to push themselves beyond their comfort zone physically.

• "This challenge has helped me analyze my movement, and I noticed that the days I work from home, I move less. I just purchased a walking pad, so I can move more." - Deidra Jones, P&C Pacers captain from the Dept. of Administration

• Lisa Dorfman-Barry from Step Right Up 49ers shared, "Don't let the number of steps overwhelm you. It can be done in short spurts. A short 10-minute walk adds up. A couple outdoor walks, a trip to the grocery store parking further away, or just moving more around the house can easily add up without even realizing it."

• Many members of Quest for the Holy Quads, captained by Jennifer Goodwin from NC Community Colleges, nearly doubled their steps week over week in weeks three and four!

Remember to put your team's successes big and small in the comments section when completing the bi-weekly reporting form for a chance to be featured.

BI-WEEKLY REPORTING FORM

Submit your team's steps for each check-in and the final deadline using the bi-weekly reporting form.

The reporting periods for each check-in are:

• Weeks 1-6: Monday, November 3-Wednesday, November 5
• Weeks 1-8 (Final Submission): Monday, November 17-Friday, November 21

HOW TO USE YOUR TRACKING SHEET

Not sure how to use your captain's spreadsheet? The video here can help. We also have a video to help your team members use the participant tracking sheet and directions for converting other exercises to steps. NOTE: The dates in the training videos are examples from a past challenge, not the reporting dates for Challenge 32.

TRAIL FACTS

Check out the points of interest guide here to learn more about each zoo your team will explore along this virtual adventure.

NEED MORE INFO?

Each message we send captains is filled with valuable information to help you make the most of Miles for Wellness. Find past emails on the Challenge 32 page.

Still can't find the answer you're looking for? Email milesforwellness@nc.gov.