IT’S a case of practising what they preach for a group of South West Healthcare employees.
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When the starter’s gun fires on the annual Surf ‘T’ Surf Fun Run/Walk on January 5 a big contingent of hospital employees are expected to compete for glory in the teams’ event.
It’s the second year a teams competition has been included in the Surf ‘T’ Surf.
A group or organisation can have as many runners or walkers in their team as they want, but only the first five runners have their times added up to decide the team’s total.
Three teams will represent South West Healthcare — one in the 10-kilometre run, another in the 6km run and the third in the 6km walk.
Participant Drew Giblin said they saw the opportunity as a good way to practise what they preached and it was the first year teams from the hospital had entered.
“We talk to our patients and the wider community about a healthy lifestyle, so this is us putting it into practice,” he said.
“Some of us have run in the event before, but we have a few new staff members that are doing it for the first time. It’s a good way to get people together and do something healthy.”
Giblin said he was expecting close to 30 staff members to sign up and form part of the teams.
He said team members had been meeting twice a week since early November for organised training runs, as well as their own personal preparations.
“You just enter yourself and say you are in the South West Healthcare team, so we don’t know exactly how many we will have on the day,” he said.
“We’ve had some training runs and so far it looks like we will have about 25 to 30 runners or walkers.
“We’re not going there to win, we just want to have a bit of fun and promote a healthy lifestyle. We just want everybody to finish their event and have fun.”
Entries for the Surf ‘T’ Surf are now open online. The field is capped at 2000 entrants and organisers said they were on track for a sellout.
For more information visit www.surftosurf.org