Big Walk, Little Splash!

To celebrate the 2012 Olympics, the NFWI invited WIs to take part in our most challenging competition yet...

To Walk, or swim, 209 miles the equivalent of the distance between Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogovh to the Olympic Stadium, London (as the crow flies) 

The challenge had to take place between April Fools Day (1st April) and WI Day (16 September) 2012 and WIs were required to keep a journal of their achievement.

The NFWI received 57 entries for the WI's with 35 members or less category and 53 entries for the WI's with 36 members or more category.  The winners were:

Cwmyoy WI, Gwent Federation
(WI with 35 members or less category)
 
Joint Winners:
Southridge WI, Northumberland Federation
Radyr & Morganstown WI, Glamorgan Federation
(WI with 36 members and over category)

 

Thank you to the members of Radyr & Morganstown WI who have very kindly agreed to share their Journal, click here Big Walk Journal - Radyr & Morganstown WIfor a PDF download (please be patient though - it is a large document!). 

Reproduction of the journal, along with use of the photographs, is not permitted unless permission has been granted by the members of Radyr & Morganstown WI; please contact Helen Neal at the NFWI Unit for further details.

Members of Southridge enjoying a coffee Members of Southridge WI enjoying a well-deserved up of coffee!

Winners of the Big Walk Challenge Members of Radyr & Morganstown WI taking in the delights of Denman.

The response to this competition was overwhelming and the NFWI were delighted with the determination, encouragement and team spirit demonstrated by those members who took part; many WIs went over and above the set mileage, some set up walking groups that will carry on way past this competition, others made new friends and gained new members whereas for some, it gave them the motivation to get out and get fit.  Combining the mileage from both categories (entered for national judging), over 85,636 miles were achieved - that's nearly 3 and half times around the equator!

The judges reported...

"A wonderful response to the challenge! The judging panel were most impressed with the quality and the amount of work put into the journals which were submitted by the federations.  Many of the journals stressed the health benefits of the challenge, quoting 'lower chloresterol and blood pressure' after the mileage was completed, as well as some members losing weight during the six-month challenge.  Another side effect was the increased social activities during the challenge as well as 'getting to know our members more'.

The distances walked were phenomenal and some members walked and swam in some very exotic locations!  The panel particularly commented on the number of WIs who used their walks for sponsorship and promotion of the WI.

We, the Judges, would like to congratulate everyone who took part in this challenge for their enthusiasm and dedication shown and a huge WELL DONE to those talented members who used their skills to collating and presenting the finished journals."