Treadmill Challenge
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Braunstone Leisure Centre recently played host a 24-hour sporting challenge to help raise money ahead of the 2009 Special Olympics which are due to take place in Leicester.
Teams of sports instructors took it in turns to walk or run for 24 hours on treadmills as part of the Treadmill Challenge. Five-person teams of staff from leisure centres at Braunstone, Leicester Leys, Evington and Aylestone ran continually on the treadmills, throughout the day and overnight.
Members of the participating leisure centres were also be able to take part, by signing up for 10-minute slots on the treadmill for £1 each. Leisure centre staff have set themselves a target of raising £100,000 towards the cost of the forthcoming Special Olympics, which the city is hosting in 2009.
The leisure centre whose team covered the most distance in 24 hours also won a trophy.
Chetan Mistry, Senior Health and Fitness Instructor said, "Braunstone won the distance challenge but only by a whisker, which is what made the challenge interesting especially in the closing stages of the competition. We estimate that £1,000 was raised which is a start towards the £100,000 we plan to raise by Summer 2009."
Further details and dates of how the games will be arranged and funded are due to be announced over the coming months.
Leicester City Council’s sports marketing manager, Steve Humphries said: "It is fabulous to see that the city’s leisure centres and local communities already involved in raising funds for the games. "The beauty of the Special Olympics is that there are opportunities for everybody to get involved and make a difference."
Leicester City Council’s cabinet member for culture and leisure, Cllr Andy Connelly, added: "The Special Olympics will be a fantastic event for Leicester, and it is great to see people getting involved."