ICAS Well Together – around the world in 180 days
On 11 January 2021 ICAS Members and Students embarked upon a virtual wellbeing journey. Their combined total of 180 days worth of exercise covered enough kilometres to travel all the way around the world.
As we have all learnt through experience, life during a pandemic isn't easy. We also know that it's important to take time out, step away from our screens and get outside for fresh air and exercise. That's why in January this year, in conjunction with our Area Networks, ICAS launched Well Together.
The campaign took the form of a collective journey, during which ICAS Members and Students combined their local efforts for a virtual trip around the world.
The journey began at CA House in Edinburgh with a cumulative target distance of 40,075km, enough for a straight-line circumnavigation of the globe, but whilst the goal was lofty, the underlying aim was simple: encourage participants to step away from their work and screens, to get outdoors, get active and give a little boost to their wellbeing. Every kind of exercise counted – as long as it could be recorded on the Strava app – from morning dog walks to lunchbreak runs and weekends out with the family.
Going the distance
By 28 March the Well Together participants had completed a grand total of 4817 runs, walks, cycles and swims, surpassed their target and covered an incredible 48,552 km. That’s equivalent to:
- running 1,151 marathons
- swimming the English Channel 1,428 times
- walking the West Highland Way 315 times
- cycling 194,208 laps of Glasgow’s Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.
With the continued lockdown and working from home it definitely helped my own mental wellbeing, as well as helping me to lose a few pounds. And being part of a team with a common goal gives you that extra reason and accountability to get out and exercise, especially on the cold and wet mornings.
Craig Maxwell CA, member of the Glasgow & West ICAS Strava Club
It takes time
It takes time to travel all the way around the world, virtually or otherwise. To be precise, it took the six ICAS Well Together Strava Clubs a combined total of 180 days, 21 hours and 12 minutes of exercising. That’s equivalent to:
- 4,341 lunch-hours spent away from work, screens and stress.
Reaching dizzy heights
Somehow not impressed by all those stats? What about this: the combined elevation gain for all activities over the 11 weeks was 463,548 metres. That’s equivalent to:
- 3,459 climbs to the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge
- 151,725 runs up all 1576 steps of the Empire State Building
- or a mere 52 ascents of Mount Everest.
Taking part in Well Together encouraged me to be more active in weather I would have otherwise tried to avoid. And I have really enjoyed engaging with other ICAS Members that I didn’t know before I joined the challenge.
Kerrie Murray CA member of the Grampian ICAS Strava Club
The journey continues
Whilst the Well Together challenge has been completed, all six ICAS Strava Clubs will stay up and running (and walking, swimming, wheeling and cycling). They have provided a great source of health and wellbeing motivation and a fun way for CAs to network, and it’s hoped they continue to do so.
Show your appreciation
If you'd like to show some appreciation for all the Well Together efforts then why not make a donation to one of their two partner charities, the ICAS Foundation, which supports academically talented young people from disadvantaged communities into university, or SCABA, the Scottish Chartered Accountants Benevolent Association.