Freeman fitness

OLYMPIAN Cathy Freeman presented young active students at Berwick Fields Primary School with a certificate of achievement last week.
On Wednesday, Australian Olympian and Global Children’s Challenge ambassador Freeman met with 265 students from Grade 3 to 6 and 11 teachers in an initiative which aims to get children physically active and make daily exercise a lifelong habit.
Students were provided with pedometers to record their daily activity and encouraged to take 15,000 steps daily. Over eight weeks, they ran, rode, skipped, swam and walked their way towards fitness and around the world in an online educational globe-trotting adventure.
Berwick Fields Primary represented one of the world’s largest school teams and collectively marched their way through 193, 741, 200 steps over the course of the program.
“The health of future generations is at risk,” Ms Freeman said.
“We need to do our bit to help. The Global Children’s Challenge makes getting active fun, educational and a health habit for life.
Berwick Fields Grade 3 and 4 teacher Libby Derbyshire said the experience was a very positive one for the students.
“The kids loved the challenge element and the fact they were part of a global program and sharing the experience with hundreds of thousands of children worldwide,” Ms Derbyshire said.
“Through increasing their physical fitness, they also began to feel better, brighter and more alert overall. In class, I’d never seen them so attentive.”
A not-for-profit initiative, Global Children’s Challenge is wholly sponsored by parent company Global Corporate Challenge and runs the program at no cost to child, school or government. For each adult participant, a place is secured for a child to participate in the Global Children’s Challenge, benefiting both the current and future working generations.
Ms Derbyshire said she was grateful for the opportunity to participate this year, and encouraged other schools and organisations to work together towards fitter, healthier lifestyles and community.