Food Around the Globe Challenge Starts April 27

Apr 16, 2020

Registration starts April  13, 2020.

Get your taste buds ready.

During this Aetna Virgin Pulse challenge, we’ll embark on a global journey  in search of the perfect (healthy!) dish. As we rack up steps, we’ll try recipes that will give us the stamina needed to finish like champs. At each stop, we’ll check out local cuisine and try simple recipes we can make at home. Complete this step-challenge with your team, unlock locations as you go, and win challenge-themed prizes!

At a time when most of the world is being told to stay at home, this Food Around the Globe challenge gives us the opportunity to travel (virtually) to 22 locations around the globe – and we can do this together! During this challenge, we’ll visit:

  • Tel Aviv, Israel
  • Athens, Greece
  • Tehran, Iran
  • New Delhi, India
  • Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  • Beijing, China
  • Tokyo, Japan
  • Seoul, South Korea
  • Bucharest, Romania
  • Minsk, Belarus
  • Warsaw, Poland
  • Munich, Germany
  • Budapest, Hungary
  • Rome, Italy
  • Paris, France
  • Lisbon, Portugal
  • Cardiff, Wales
  • Dublin, Ireland
  • New York City, United States
  • Port au Prince, Haiti
  • San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Challenge Rules

This is your chance to team up with colleagues to get active and start a little healthy competition. Here’s how: Go to the team challenge page to join a team, start a team, or get others to join. Track your steps manually online, via app, Alexa skill, or sync your fitness tracker.

To sign up for an Aetna Virgin Pulse account and join the challenge, just visit tinyurl.com/ArcWCjoin. Need help?  Call Virgin Pulse: 1-833-525-5786 (8am-9pm EST) or email support@virginpulse.com.

The challenge is FREE and open to every employee of The Arc of Washington County at any fitness level. You don’t need to be enrolled with Aetna to participate!

Dates

  • Registration for this challenge opened on April 13.
  • The challenge starts on April 27 and ends on June 21.
  • The last day to upload your steps is June 23. But tracking daily is more fun!
  • To be eligible for prize drawings you must record steps weekly.

To Get Started

  • Join a team (they’ll be happy to have you)
  • Or make your own team (lead the way, Captain)
  • Make sure your activity tracker is connected to get credit for all your hard-earned steps
  • If you don’t have a connected activity tracker, you can enter your steps manually online at Aetna Virgin Pulse or by using the mobile app.

Teams

  • Teams can have up to 10 participants.
  • You can join an existing team or create a new team. It’s up to you!
  • Either way, try to have a full team of 10 to maximize your score.

Scores

  • Team scores are based on total team steps.
  • The more steps your team gets, the better your score.
  • To contribute to your team score, upload steps from a fitness tracker or manually enter steps online or through the Virgin Pulse app.
  • Track your steps daily to get your team closer to the goal. Track other activities and convert them into steps – it’s easy!
  • You can get credit for up to 30,000 steps a day (so aim high)!
  • The team with the most steps at the end of the challenge wins. What do you win? Bragging rights! But, wait! There are prizes! Keep reading.

Good to Know

  • If you leave a team after the challenge start date, you can’t rejoin the challenge.
  • If you join a team after the challenge start date, some of your steps may not count. (Skip the heartache — join before the challenge starts.)
  • Participant names and step counts may be shared with other challenge participants and administrators.

Prizes

Win prizes and earn online badges to brag about your accomplishments!

Participation Prize

Everyone who signs up and participates will receive a free pocket-sized bottle of hand sanitizer (obtained through your team captain after May 4), while supplies last

Individual Prizes

Some may run and rack up many steps while others are just starting out. All we ask is that you track your steps every week. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the challenge via random drawing—and prize winners must participate for all eight weeks of the challenge in order to receive a prize. Prizes include:

  • Elliptical Trainer with Magnetic Resistance
  • Upside Down Tomato Planter (pack of two)
  • Oxo Good Grips Salad Spinner
  • Etekcity Stainless Steel Digital Kitchen Scale

Goal Getter Prize

Achieve the suggested 7,000 steps a day and track it. This prize will be awarded at the end of the challenge via random drawing—and the prize winner must participate for all eight weeks of the challenge in order to receive this prize:

  • Fitness Gear Pro Kettlebell

kettlebell

Team Prizes 

Every team reaching the final destination will be entered into a team prize drawing at the conclusion of the challenge. For team members who complete the challenge, team prize are:

  • Instant Read Digital Kitchen Thermometer
  • The Yoga Deck: 50 Poses & Meditations for Body, Mind, & Spirit
  • $10 in Arc Bucks

team prizes

Because of changing availability of some items, we may need to provide substitute prizes. If we do, we’ll do our best to find prizes of similar quality and value.