The Blog

Have you noticed more people at the parks? Witnessed an outdoor dance class? Turned your living room into a personalized activity center? Decided to plant a garden? Last time we checked, any movement you’ve been up to is a win. It’s a win for you, a win for your family, students, neighbors or whomever you’re sharing your life with.

The place we live and people around us strongly influence in our individual wellbeing, which in turn shapes the health of our community.

Norma, a fellow Texan in Los Fresnos and Community Challenge participant, knows firsthand that exercising with a group of people over time can lead to renewed inner strength and the support of a family. As a grandma to four, Norma wants to be active to ensure she is there to enjoy and take care of her loved ones. Many times it can be tough to do it alone.

Norma, third from left, with her workout family

“We are one because of exercise,” Norma believes. Over the last 6 years, Norma has developed a habit to workout at their local community center. It’s here where Norma found a group of women she now calls family.

“Everyone takes care of each other here, everyone comes for different reasons, and everyone is welcome.”

She also shares that, “You have to be persistent,” and that the Community Challenge keeps her going.

Over the last nine years, we’ve hosted our annual Community Challenge as a way to encourage, support and unite us all across the state. While the competition is meant to motivate everyone to give it their all, the heart of the challenge is about each of us finding our own path to health through the support of our communities.

Our hope is no different this year, even though our current reality is quite strange. This year the challenge may be more important than ever as we find the means to move, stay connected and be safe in the face of the pandemic.

The Community Challenge is our opportunity to prove our strength, creativity and connectedness.

Choosing activities that inspire us to move and help us appreciate the strength of our bodies is proof of our power to thrive. From Norma’s insight we know that having a friend, teacher, neighbor or virtual buddies can offer us just enough nourishment to keep us going.

Of course, our new ways of connection look different. Maybe we take more walks, join socially distanced park workouts, live stream a dance class or teach a virtual class for kids to explore a balanced diet. All of these activities offer something for ourselves and community.

The Community Challenge offers a variety of ways for you to compete and connect throughout the eight-weeks. This year we are excited to announce some new ways to participate and join in on some healthy competition. As always, you register as an individual, track your activities and thereby earn points for your whole community. And when you can inspire more people to contribute points, prizes await! In addition, you have the opportunity to create sub-challenges within your communities and get your points to count for multiple teams. These smaller challenges give you the chance to contribute your points earned through healthy activities to your school district, employer or even your own team!

Whether you love a healthy competition, are working toward a personal health goal, or just seeking more connection, the Community Challenge is for you.

We promise to build a virtual environment that encourages all of us in our efforts and reminds us that there are always people around us who want to nurture healthy patterns.

Mask up, stay safe and get those living rooms ready for some action. Let’s show 2021 what we’re made of!

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Learn more about the 2021 Community Challenge and how to register at https://ittcommunitychallenge.com/