Twelve weeks of working out and eating veggies, led by Mayor Bruce Banman, gave Abbotsford a robust win in the Healthy Communities Challenge.1
Cities were tracked on a points system, and they scored for participation, marketing and mayor’s involvement. Abbotsford scored some 118,000 points compared to 57,000 from Surrey, 35,000 in Langley, and 16,000 by Coquitlam.
Banman was the most active mayor, and over the 12 weeks did 36 workouts.
Yoshia Burton, owner and manager of Abbotsford Innovative Fitness, did much of the mayor’s training personally. It included a kayaking trip and a hike up Elk Mountain near Chilliwack.
“He did really well – Bruce bought into everything.” said Burton. “He made amazing progress in his fitness.”
He said the mayor’s heart rate was running high when he started the challenge, and the 90-day fitness program brought it way down.
He also gave credit to his community, saying “Abbotsford loves a challenge.”
“Abby kind of blew it out of the water – they did a great job,” said Curtis Christopherson of Innovative Fitness, which organized the event.
The three-month venture – in which participants learned how to get active and lead healthier lifestyles – encouraged 5,000 B.C. residents to sign up online and take part alongside others from their communities.
For each activity, participants earned points, which were then added to a larger pool and sorted by the community, to find which city gained the most points.
Through the challenge, the public could access free health and fitness advice.