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16 September 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Charl Devenish
Smoothie Bike challenge
The Smoothie Bike Challenge feeds the body, soul and the mind in support of mental health awareness.

Smoothie lovers at the University of the Free State (UFS) pedalled furiously to create their favourite drink. The Smoothie Bike Challenge was recently introduced to the Bloemfontein Campus community by the Division for Organisational Development and Employee Wellness.

Blending bikes and berries

Kovsies staff members were invited to pop a handful of berries and bananas into a blender attached to a specially adapted bike that uses pedal power to turn the ingredients into a refreshing drink. 

Blending physical exercise and healthy eating is one way to ensure holistic health. The division wanted to raise awareness around mental health and the effects that fitness and healthy food have on the mind. 

Wheelie good fun

“The purpose of this initiative was to involve employees in a fun way to use their bodies to make a healthy drink. Individuals of all fitness levels could participate,” said Burneline Kaars, head of the organisational development and employee wellness division.

A precursor to Mental Health Awareness month

Participants provided the energy to make the smoothie and Employee Wellness provided the ingredients but the initiative also created awareness around mental health. This comes weeks before the country officially enters Mental Health Awareness month.

According to the government: “The month of October has been declared Mental Health Awareness month with the objective of not only educating the public about mental health but to reduce the stigma and discrimination that people with mental illness are often subjected to.”

An estimated 400 million people worldwide suffer from mental or neurological disorders or experience psychosocial problems. Initiatives such as the Smoothie Bike Challenge are some of the ways in which the UFS is attempting to ensure that staff members are taken care of and do not become statistics. In the light of these numbers, it is evident that continuous efforts are necessary to tackle the issue.



News Archive

UFS closes pedestrian entrances to improve safety on campus
2010-08-05

The University of the Free State (UFS) will remove pedestrian gates on its Main Campus in an extra effort to improve safety on this campus.

It was decided to implement this plan because the campus covers a huge area and people who are not part of the campus community hang around on the campus, sometimes causing damages. This idea is also strongly supported by students, in particular with regard to the removal of the pedestrian thoroughfares close to the hostels.

The following pedestrian gates will not be removed:

- The pedestrian thoroughfares on both sides of the DF Malherbe Gate (next to the Faculty of Health Sciences). Both the main gate and the pedestrian thoroughfares at the DF Malherbe Gate remain open 24 hours a day.
- The pedestrian thoroughfares at the Badenhorst Street Gate (close to Roosmaryn Residence). The Badenhorst Gate is not open 24 hours a day, but the pedestrian thoroughfare will remain open 24 hours a day.

The following pedestrian thoroughfares will be removed with effect from 1 September 2010:

- The pedestrian thoroughfare to the east of Pellies Park
- The pedestrian thoroughfare to the west of Pellies Park (directly behind JMB Hertzog Residence)
- The turnstile between the Kovsie Church and the Wynand Mouton Gate
- The pedestrian thoroughfare behind the tennis courts
- The pedestrian thoroughfares behind the rugby fields

A request was also directed at the Kovsie Church to close down the pedestrian thoroughfare between the Kovsie Church and the UFS. This gate will then be opened during church activities.

From 1 September 2010, the personnel of Security Services will regularly patrol the fences. Trespassers that flatten the fencing to enter the campus will be prosecuted.

Students, personnel and visitors are encouraged to make use of the main entrance gates of the UFS. These include the Main Gate (in Nelson Mandela Drive), the Wynand Mouton Gate (in DF Malherbe Drive), the DF Malherbe Gate (in Wynand Mouton Drive), the Badenhorst Street Gate (close to Roosmaryn Residence) and the Furstenburg Gate (in Furstenburg Road).

Media Release:
Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za
5 August 2010

 

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