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Terence Cooper: Commit to Get Far starts Wednesday 13 January!

Sussex staff can get 10 free days of Sussexsport membership from 13-22 January by forming a team and signing up to Commit to Get Far, which starts next week.

Terry CooperTerence Cooper, Health and Fitness Development Officer (Sussexsport)

Sussexsport's post-Christmas staff challenge is a virtual Tour de UK: an 829 mile ‘route’ which travels from Aberdeen to Dover across the 10 days of the challenge, ‘visiting’ major cities en route. See if your team can go the distance by matching or exceeding each daily mileage to cover the entire map.

How you get the miles in is up to you. Walking, running and rowing count as actual mileage; so track every step over the 10-day challenge. Other activities will get your team one mile for every 15 minutes completed.

So use your free 10-day membership to try out a group exercise class, play some badminton and squash or have a cardio or strength and conditioning workout. (If you already hold a membership, the facilities will be available to you as normal.)

If you haven’t already taken advantage of the £1 a swim offer, available to all University-employed staff, clock up the miles by taking a dip at one of our partner pools in Brighton, Hove, Lewes and Newhaven.

In addition to the Tour de UK, Sussexsport will also be challenging each individual/team to complete the ‘Activity Decathlon’, a specific sport or fitness activity for each day of the event.

Post a photo of yourself or the team doing the chosen activity for that day to be in with a chance of winning treats. Sussexsport staff will be available throughout the challenge to offer advice and support.

You can have as many people in your team as you like, so get as many involved as possible - more people means more miles! Throughout the challenge teams can update Sussexsport with their 'location' and photos from the decathlon challenge. Remember, updates mean team treats.

Commit to Get Far is part of Sussexsport’s ‘Commit to’ staff programme, which includes Commit to Get Fit month in May, the Boundary Run and walk, staff rounders and Fundraising Friday.

The School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) were 2015’s Commit to Get Fit champions and saw it as a great chance to try something new and get active as a team. Naomi Lukianczuk from MPS said:

“The first year I did it I was a new member of staff and it really helped cement working relationships with my colleagues.

“My advice would be, use it as an opportunity to get to know your colleagues better and just have some fun. Also, try something new! It’s not everywhere you get the opportunity to take part in activities like this at work.”

Rebecca Foster, also in MPS, agrees. She said: "Commit to ... is a brilliant opportunity to try new things and re-discover some old ones in a safe and supportive environment and it’s really worth making the most of it."

To confirm your team's place on this year’s challenge, email: s.n.fuller@sussex.ac.uk