UNB's HEALTHY ACTIVE LIVING CHAMPIONS
OFFICIAL LAUNCH - JUNE 21, 2007
Walking the Talk: UNB launches its Healthy Active Living Champions initiative
The University of New Brunswick launched its UNB Healthy Active Living Champions initiative this morning at the Fredericton campus. This important initiative, part of UNB’s effort to help New Brunswick become a healthy living province, celebrates individuals who have made healthy active living a priority.
“It’s important to be active, to be reasonably careful about our diet (although there are things I just can’t give up!) and generally treat wellness as a personal priority,” says UNB President, Dr. John McLaughlin, who was one of the nominees celebrated today. He explains that his motivation is partly professional, with a seven day a week job with lots of long engaged days in which sustained energy and stamina is essential. But it is also personal – having just turned 60, and soon to become a grandfather. “There is so much that Maggie and I still want to do, and we have got to be as healthy as possible, to accomplish our goals.”
UNB's Healthy Active Living Champions initiative celebrates the efforts and accomplishments of UNB faculty, staff and students who demonstrate their commitment to healthy active living. UNB strives to model healthy eating and active living in order to help build healthier communities at home and throughout the province. UNB endeavours to promote awareness about the benefits of healthy lifestyles through recognizing the university’s own healthy active living champions!
“We have to celebrate those who have already made healthy lifestyle choices, and encourage them to continue their efforts, says UNB professor and Director of the LEAP! clinic, Dr. Gabriela Tymowski, one of the creators of this program; “Research has shown that exposing others to excellent role models and mentors does help others change their behaviour, so this initiative is critical to developing new norms around healthy living.”
UNB's Healthy Active Living Champions are individuals who have been nominated by their peers as exemplifying healthy active living.
“The nomination process is easy and interactive from our website. We encourage the UNB community to recognize those individuals who make wellness a personal priority”, says HALC co-creator Nicola Cassidy, of Human Resources and a member of the Campus Wellness Committee.
The Healthy Active Living Champions are individuals have demonstrated their commitment through action and engagement over time to living an active lifestyle. They have and continue to walk, run, hike, ride, swim, ski, skate, participate in fitness classes, and otherwise take part in healthy living on a regular basis. They are role models for the UNB community and promote healthy active living as a priority and a sustainable way of life!
Thank you to these Friends of the UNB HALC Program for their generousity!
