Winner of the pedometer and bike challenge 2020 chosen
An impressive 4,347,216 steps and 5,695.76 bike kilometers were achieved in the pedometer & bike challenge 2020!
How were the Health and Environment Days (GUt) at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences supposed to go this year? Would they even be allowed to take place? That’s what Eric Schön, environmental coordinator at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, wondered in April 2020, since neither students nor staff were on campus due to the COVID-19 situation. Emergency operations were put in place; courses / classes were held online; contact had to be avoided; social distancing rules had to be followed; and, at first, sports and exercise were only allowed to take place alone and outdoors. How could the university possibly offer active breaks, mobile massages, guided back exercises, stretching, and gymnastics programs, and so on? All the activities that normally took place on the university campus together with therapists, staff, and students?
Was there no way to implement any of this in this extraordinary situation? Wait a minute: weren’t outdoor sports and exercise—alone or in pairs—allowed? That was exactly the idea! At the very least, students and staff could be invited to participate in the pedometer challenge. No one had to come to the university for this, and all COVID-19 regulations could be followed. Yes, this was meant to be—in the truest sense of the word—a viable path that could also be carried out while working and studying from home.
The step counter challenge was a great way to encourage physical activity from home, especially since the trips between home and the university—which people would normally have walked or biked—were no longer happening. After all, biking to the university was also off the table for the time being. But that didn’t have to be the case, thought Eric Schön:
"…if we can count our steps, then surely we can count our cycling kilometers, too! We organized a pedometer challenge and, as a new addition, a cycling challenge between our university and the Zittau City Administration. Especially given the current COVID-19 situation, we wanted to encourage people to get out into the fresh air, stay active, and leave their cars at home!"
”- A student ranking for both disciplines
- An initiative of the university’s Rectorate and the mayors of the university towns of Zittau and Görlitz. In 2020, a special Rectorate-Mayor ranking for the pedometer challenge was introduced for the first time. This meant that Rector Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch, Vice President Prof. Dr. Sophia Keil, Vice President Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen, and Chancellor Dipl.-Jur. Karin Hollstein competed against Mayor Thomas Zenker, Mayor Octavian Ursu, Anke Zenker-Hoffmann, and Juliane Zachmann.
“All in all, we can look back on 14 days filled with many steps and kilometers, and we tip our hats to all the participants, who once again delivered outstanding performances…,” said Eric Schön at the awards ceremony for both disciplines.
”The event was held on July 10, 2020, on the Zittau Campus, in front of Building Z IV, in compliance with all regulations regarding the COVID-19 situation.
The goal of encouraging physical activity was more than exceeded! The total number of steps came to an impressive 4,347,216, and the total number of kilometers cycled was 5,695.76.
The overall figures for the individual evaluations were as follows:
Step Counter Challenge
- Steps taken by Zittau University staff: 1,706,66
- Steps taken by Zittau City Administration staff: 1,965,002
- Steps taken by students: 964,192
- Steps by the Mayor: 408,317
- Steps by the Rector’s Office: 267,229
Bicycle Challenge
- Kilometers by Zittau City Administration Staff: 1,979.45
- Kilometers cycled by university staff: 2,462.74
- Kilometers by students: 1,253.57
Finally, we would like to emphasize once again that everyone was a winner!
Many thanks to everyone for taking part, for the wonderful teamwork and for carrying out the pedometer and bike challenge 2020 together!
Together we proved that even extraordinary situations can be managed and mastered! Best wishes and all the best for the future!
2nd upper floor