Our winter walking challenge
At Storm ID, we love a challenge. So every winter, we get walking. By motivating ourselves to go out more during December, we improve our physical and mental health. Plus there's a bit of healthy competition thrown in to spice things up. And this year we made it even more special by raising money for local disability charity, The Yard.
Our walking challenge started a few years ago when we we all started working from home. A little motivation to get out about, especially in the depths of winter, is very much needed. This year the only condition was to walk, run or hike a minimum of 31km per person - one kilometre for every day of December. And everyone who participated made it, with over half smashing the 100km mark.
We used the Strava app to track all our walks, post pictures and comments and give loads of kudos. A total of 26 people participated, walking a combined 3,583km with an elevation gain of 29,174m. That's John o' Groats to Lands End and back, and 3 Everests. And our walking took us to Edinburgh, the Highlands, Northern Ireland, England and even Barcelona and Mallorca (those weren't quite as cold).
Our efforts were also about raising money for charity. At the start of the challenge, participants voted for a preferred local charity to support. The winner was The Yard, who support disabled children and their families through adventure play. The company donated £1 for every kilometre walked, so a cracking total of £3,583.
"The kindness and generosity of individuals and businesses means that we can continue providing moments of joy to the children who need us. We are so grateful to the staff of Storm ID for your wonderful support of The Yard."
And of course, we didn’t do it alone - we had a few furry friends join us who I’m sure enjoyed the walks as much as their humans. And definitely walked further.
About The Yard
The Yard provides the only service of its kind in Scotland, supporting disabled children and their families through adventure play. They create a non-judgmental, safe and inclusive space for disabled children to be themselves. Through weekly sessions they build a community of families who support each other and make friendships to last a lifetime.
What their members say: “The Yard is an invaluable place for families like mine. It provides a safe place where children can play and learn without judgement. My son loves it! He’s happy and relaxed in the lovely environment. That allows me to relax too, which I don’t normally get to do outside of our house. I can’t tell you how important a place like this is for families like ours. I can’t thank the staff and people who support it enough.”