Stonehenge
People are being encouraged to take part in this year’s Wiltshire Challenge following its success last year.
More than 1,800 people took part in the challenge in 2013, which was organised as part of Wiltshire’s 2012 Legacy programme, and Wiltshire Council and its partners DC Leisure, Calne, Downton and Cricklade Leisure Centres, are hoping that even more people get involved this year.
Wiltshire residents of all ages are being encouraged to participate in a sporting challenge this summer by swimming, walking, rowing or cycling their way to a more active lifestyle, either on the tracks and trails of Wiltshire, or in the leisure centres.
People can enter for free now online at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/wiltshirechallenge to select their challenge, which needs to be completed over 12 weeks between April 21 – June 13.
This year there will be four challenges:
The Wiltshire Sports Challenge
The Junior Wiltshire Sports Challenge
The Wiltshire Swim Challenge
The Wiltshire Walking Challenge
Each challenge includes a bronze, silver and gold standard for people to achieve over 29 stages, which takes them on a virtual journey to Glasgow – home of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The sports challenge can be entered either as an individual, or as a team of four, while the other challenges are for individuals.
Councillor Jerry Kunkler, Portfolio Holder for Leisure said: “The 2014 Wiltshire Challenge offers a real mix of challenges for people to take part in, where they can have some fun while improving their health and wellbeing in the process.”
British Rhythmic Gymnastics Champion, 2014 Commonwealth Games hopeful and Cricklade resident, Laura Halford is backing this year’s Wiltshire Challenge. She said: “As part of the Team Wales Rhythmic Gymnastics squad I am proud to be representing the home countries and Wiltshire at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer.
“I am also honoured to be supporting the 2014 Wiltshire Challenge, which will allow everyone from across the county to set themselves a challenge and go for it.”
This year participants can sign up for the Wiltshire Challenge and also pledge to complete that challenge as part of the Big Pledge – www.wiltshire.gov.uk/bigpledge. The Big Pledge is part of Wiltshire Council’s Legacy for Wiltshire programme which started on April 2, 2014 and runs for 12 weeks. People can pledge as an individual, group, or community to do something that makes a positive difference and improves their own, or others, health and wellbeing.
With incentive prizes at key points to encourage participants to go the distance, everyone who completes at least the bronze standard of the Wiltshire Challenge will receive a medal and a certificate and those who complete the gold standard will be entered in the prize draw for the chance to win a free leisure centre membership.
