Oxford-to-London Strava Challenge

Here at Oxford International College, we are thrilled to announce our first ever school fitness challenge! In response to the national lockdown, which has limited our usual exercise and workout routines, we have decided to encourage our students to stay active by taking to the streets- staying socially distant, of course - and clocking up the kilometres to compete against their friends for the chance to win from a number of exciting prizes. Called the Oxford-to-London Challenge, the objective of this contest is for students to cover the distance between Oxford and London - 54.6 miles, or 90.7km - either by walking, running or cycling. The first 10 students to top the leaderboard will be awarded prizes. All students need to do is to join the new OIC Strava club and track their exercise on the app once per day, for a maximum of one hour each day (in accordance with the UK government guidelines) until they hit the total distance. Since it is much easier to cover ground on a bike than by foot, the scoreboard is adjusted so that each mile cycled is worth half a kilometre towards the total distance covered. This challenge is open to all OIC students, meaning even those in their home countries are able to compete with their friends in the College boarding houses here in Oxford. Even if those who are abroad aren’t in lockdown, however, the same rules apply- one hour of exercise a day will contribute to their totals. For the technophobes and the treadmill owners, photo evidence can be submitted for exercise, so joining the Strava club isn’t a requirement to enter the competition - but it is a great way to stay connected with friends and to celebrate each other’s fitness progress. Just a few days in, and we already have dozens of students signed up and exercising daily to aim for the top prize - a brand-new Apple iPad! Second place will be awarded the latest Fitbit smartwatch, while the rest of the competitors are still in with a chance of finishing in the top 10 and bagging themselves Amazon gift cards for their amazing efforts. We are all delighted to see the school community pull together in these “challenging” times, and work towards a different kind of positive result!   Matt Walsh