Ten Socorro Independent School District employees were recognized for walking a combined total of more than 8.6 million steps in the “Walk the Walk Team Challenge.” The competition organized by Texas Tech University includes teams from all over the U.S. that worked together to accumulate steps during May.
The SISD Human Resources Department and Aetna, the district health insurance provider, recognized the SISD team named, “Can’t Stomp This,” for their achievement and awarded them fitness and wellness items.
Each team member received an Aetna duffle bag, with reusable water bottles, t-shirts, resistance bands, and other items to help them on their health and wellness journey.
The top three winners, Jeff Barros, Francisco Ornelas and Adriana Aguirre, earned special gifts, including a gift card and Fitbit devices.
“When I heard about the competition, I knew I had to be a part of it,” said Aguirre, a staff accountant with the Financial Services department. “It was tough, but it was great to have each other to encourage and support. It’s very important to be intentional about our health.”
She said the team would walk every chance they got after work, in the mornings and at lunch.
The national competition encourages participants to stay active to maintain a healthy lifestyle and create a culture of health and fitness within the workplace.
Aetna representative Alonso Nevarez said it is important for employees to know they shouldn’t depend on medication to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and they should include physical activity in their everyday lives to achieve overall health and wellness.
“We just want to recognize these amazing employees because it’s so important for people to take the initiative to be active,” Nevarez said. “As their health insurance provider, we want to encourage them to continue their efforts for a healthier lifestyle.”
Along with support and encouragement from Aetna, Socorro ISD has been encouraging employees to make healthy choices with their work and home lives through the Healthy Body, Strong Mind employee wellness program. Through the program, the district provides fitness, wellness, nutrition and mindfulness activities designed to support a wide-range of personal health needs.
“Can’t Stomp This” Team Members
Jeff Barros – 1st place, 2 million steps
Francisco Ornelas – 2nd place, 1 million steps
Adriana Aguirre – 3rd place, 900,000 steps
Brenda Aguirre
Karen Edens
Lupe Garcia
David Gutierrez
Angel Martinez
Alejandra Padilla
Lourdes Zavala-Hernandez