The Queensland Rural, Regional and Remote Women’s Network (QRRRWN) was excited to receive a Queensland Women’s Week grant for a project called ‘Walk around Queensland’.
Overcoming isolation of rural, regional and remote (RRR) women by connecting virtually and face to face in Kingaroy, the project was aimed at motivating RRR women to exercise and actively care for their wellbeing. With many women putting themselves and their health last on the priority list, the theme “You’re worth it” was set to encourage a reshuffling of the priority order.
Together, participants took a virtual walk through milestones around rural, regional and remote Queensland. The project involved participants from across the state using the free World Walking app during Queensland Women’s Week to log their daily walk/jog/run & other physical activities, along with a purpose built facebook event. Each entry added to the cumulative kilometres walked by all participants and was tracked on a map showing and celebrating how far the group had walked around Queensland.
What an amazing adventure the QRRRWN/Queensland Women’s Week Walk Around Queensland turned out to be and what an impressive and committed group of walkers! We arrived back in Kingaroy on the 13th May 2018 after virtually circumnavigating Queensland on foot for two months, one week and three days or 10 weeks and a day! Exactly four months earlier than our target date of the first day of Conference. Our 58 member team walked a total of 5,167 kilometres or 7,734,284 steps!
Prizes were awarded to those who participated in a number of categories. Information, inspiration, motivation and support was channelled through the facebook event in the lead up to and after the event.
The launch in Kingaroy on 3 March 2018 was significant for QRRRWN in its 25th year, as the South Burnett is the birthplace of QRRRWN (formerly QRWN and RWN), the Kingaroy community hosted the 25th QRRRWN state conference in September 2018. In honour of this, the virtual route started and ended in Kingaroy.
The project encouraged accountability by connecting participants, and creating incentive for them to exercise more frequently through daily competitions, creating a fun atmosphere and recognition of women participating. It is hoped that after this event, participants will be encouraged to continue walking. QRRRWN has kept the QRRRWN World Walking group open after the event, to encourage continued connectedness between members after the event.
How to join…
Everyone is welcome to participate! You can join in and talk a virtual walk through milestones around rural, regional and remote Queensland in the name of health, wellbeing and community.
1. Join World Walking:
* On desktop, visit: https://worldwalking.org/
* On iOS or Android: Install the World Walking app
2. Join Walk Around Queensland
3. Add your daily steps towards Walk Around Queensland in World Walking.
You can convert other forms of exercise (swimming, biking, housework, and more) into steps using this online calculator (http://www.calorieking.com.au/tools/step_equivalence.php).
This project has been supported by YWCA Queensland and the Queensland Government. Thank you to World Walking for setting up the custom virtual walk.
For more information, please contact QRRRWN on 1300 795 571.
