Organisations across the UAE have stepped-up support to Imperial College London Diabetes Centre’s (ICLDC) Start Walking initiative in the lead up to November’s ‘Walk 2013’ at Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island.
More than three million steps have been notched up since the grass-roots activity launched in June of this year, with over two million taken during a two week period alone, which included activation during the recent visit of international basketball star Kobe Bryant.
The UAE’s first Kobe Bryant Health and Fitness Weekend came out in support of ICLDC’s campaign, with over 40 children playing for more than 120 minutes to notch-up an impressive tally of 1.16 million steps in support of Start Walking.
Also in the UAE capital, Occidental Oil and Gas International LLC (Oxy), joined in the campaign via its signature ‘Corporate Wellness Day’, which is organised to promote well-being by providing resources to educate employees and families and raise awareness of diabetes.
The day began with a fitness challenge among Oxy employees, followed by a healthy lifestyles exhibition, a lecture on diabetes, and a walk which saw 100 individuals add more than 103,000 steps to Start Walking.
The campaign’s own Play for Life Football tournament also pulled out all the stops with in excess of 270,000 steps taken in a walk organised on the first day of the tournament around the main Zayed Sports City stadium.
Organising executive teams, sponsors and more than 240 players from 12 corporates joined the walk. Over the five night tournament, the players added an impressive 2.2 million steps to the Start Walking tally.
Al Ain also joined in the activation, with more than 40 colleagues at the Zayed House For Islamic Culture joining in a walk around the Centre’s grounds.
Start Walking was launched by ICLDC’s public health awareness campaign, ‘Diabetes-Knowledge-Action’ under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak and the initiative is set to stage a collection of mini-walks right up to November in the run up to the annual Walk 2013, the walkathon at YAS Marina Circuit on 15th November, the day after World Diabetes Day.
Individuals, groups and organisations nationwide can take part in Start Walking by forming walking groups or events – with the campaign’s website
diabetesuae.ae regularly updated with ideas, downloadable posters and flyers.
