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Four universities to walk 200 000 km in ten weeks

12 April 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Charl Devenish

“May the best team win the 2019 BestMed Pedometer Challenge!” said LJ van Zyl, Pedometer Challenge ambassador.

Participants in the 2019 BestMed Pedometer Challenge will start improving their health step by step after the University of the Free State (UFS) challenged the Stellenbosch University, Central University of Technology, and North-West University (NWU) to an eight-week walking competition.

South African 400-metre hurdles record-holder and the Pedometer Challenge ambassador, LJ van Zyl, embraced the initiative as an alternative method to achieve fitness. “I am so tired of running and this is great way to stay fit,” he said during the official launch on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus on 5 April 2019.

Inter-institutional fight for fitness

Last year, the UFS Division for Organisational Development and Employment Wellness in the Department of Human Resources led a UFS-only challenge that saw 60 teams of staff members log a total of 54 606 km in eight weeks. The division then challenged the NWU.

Together, the NWU and UFS walked 132 000 km. This year, the UFS is taking it one step further by challenging two more institutions.

Leading the way

“We aim to get South Africa active – starting with the UFS – by embracing fitness and health ourselves,” said Arina Engelbrecht, UFS Employee Wellness Specialist.

Participants on all fitness and activity levels will gun for a 200 000 km target over 10 weeks.

The challenge kicked off on the Bloemfontein Campus with a 3-km walk at the launch, leaving 199 997 km between the four universities for the rest of the eight-week challenge.

News Archive

Group of farmers from Namibia visit the UFS

2007-11-15

A group of 52 emerging farmers from Gobabis in the Omaheke region of Namibia recently visited the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development at the University of the Free State (UFS). The group, who comprised of several ladies and young people, are mostly small and large scale cattle farmers. They were addressed by several lecturers from the centre. Visits were also paid to among others a large goat farm in Upington and Beefmaster's feeding paddock in Christiana. The farmers wanted to acquaint themselves with animal production practices and possible food value chains and establish future business partners for their businesses. From the left, are: Prof. Izak Groenewald (Head of the UFS Centre for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development), Sir Lesley Kaundara (member of the group), Ms Inge Kangootui (member of the group), Prof. Kobus Laubscher (Associate Professor at the UFS Department of Agricultural Economics), and Mr Joel Tjaondjo (member of the group).
Photo: Lacea Loader

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