Team Spotlight
When it comes to striving for a healtier lifestyle, you may feel that you need extra motivation, encouragement, and support. That's where joining a team comes in. Many people who join a team during the wellness challenge feel empowered by their fellow mates. Check out what some teams are doing to help each other reach for their goals.
Team Activenides
Have you heard of the Voluntary Protection Program's Survivor Wellness Challenge team, Activenides? This team resides in the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory and has a total of 33 members! You may be wondering why this team is so special, so here's their story. Team Activenides, coming from the word Actinides, meaning nuclear materials, has become the team every wellness challenge participant can learn from. Starting with 16 alumni, they recruited 17 new team members, using the wellness challenge buddy system, totaling the largest team ever to enter the challenge.
However, do not think that managing a team of this size is an easy task. Not only do they have team leads (Skip Kerschner, Facilities & Operations Directorate, and Gert Patello, Energy & Environment Directorate), they have an "Inspirational Guru" as well. This guru goes by the name of Mike Urie, Energy & Environment Directorate, and is not a part of the team or the Wellness Challenge, but volunteers to help keep the motivation high for the team members. Mike sends out a weekly e-mail encouraging and reminding the team members to stay on track, to do what they need to do to reach their personal goal and reminding them to log their points. As Mike says, "The key isn't in the recruiting, there is supposed to be an objective, so you'll be motivated to improve your lifestyle." Mike feels that if each member sets a personal goal for themselves, then they should reach that goal and he would like to remind them of that.
Skip and Gert encourage the team to exercise during lunch breaks, whether it's walking outside or using the stationary bike in the locker room. Gert has expanded the women's locker room to double as a fitness room, loaded with posters of VPP's stretching guides, a stationary bike and even a TV and some workout videos.
Because the team is so large, they had to opt out of the massage prize, which they all would love, but they enjoy having a larger united team instead. In fact, Skip is up for a challenge next year; he's looking for some competition! He is requesting a large team at the Lab to run against his team next year, to battle for the dominant team of the entire Laboratory. If you feel you're up for the challenge, contact Skip himself.
Team Doyouwanturmail
After three years of inspiring each other, Doyouwanturmail, a team from the VPP Survivor Wellness Challenge, inspires others at the Laboratory. The team consists of two members, Elaine Hawkins and Melissa Miner, who both work in the mail room. Elaine walks every morning before work to the WSU Tri-Cities campus and back, and Melissa walks every afternoon during lunch. Although walking, lifting, and constantly moving throughout their day is a part of delivering the mail, the two do not stop there. On the weekends, Melissa swims and rollerblades, while Elaine enjoys taking long walks. They have participated in the challenge the last couple of years and enjoy it because “it’s like a reality check to get out and do something.” Losing weight, staying active, and having the chance to when prizes is very motivating for them.
When asked if they have any tips to share with others. Here’s what they recommended: Their motto, “it’s your health, if you want to enjoy your life…do it!”
Next year they are hoping to recruit more team members. If you want to get serious about the wellness challenge next year and are looking for a dedicated team to help you stay motivated, contact Elaine or Melissa.