Adam Boyden Wins Walking Challenge
HR Generalist Adam Boyden, who won the June company Walking Challenge, didn’t stay just one step ahead of the competition. He stayed 2,736 steps ahead of his closest competitor. “I’m still having pains in my feet,” said Boyden, who managed 145,497 steps during the weeklong competition. He was followed closely by Kenworth Technician Adam Detty with 142,761 steps and Associate Engineer Zach Gavi with 122,447 steps. In all, 44 people actively participated in the event, which took place from June 5 to June 10.
Boyden’s accomplishment is even more impressive considering he had no steps recorded for June 10, the extra day added to the Walking Challenge. “The competitiveness took over,” Boyden said. “I thought, if I’m going to do this, I’m going to win.” He said he received strong encouragement from his co-workers. “I had a couple co-workers who really got behind me and I had constant encouragement from people saying, keep moving! Keep moving! One of them brought in a stepper for me.
“In a full week, I would say I sat down literally three or four times,” Boyden said. “It was one of those things where at work I was constantly moving. It was running, jogging or walking in place, or with the stepper.” He said he decided he would try to accomplish the majority of his steps while he was at work, meaning Boyden never really stopped moving the entire week. Even when speaking to people or training them, he would walk or jog in place. Boyden said everyone was a good sport about it. “Maybe they got annoyed, I’m not sure, but they thought it was pretty funny,” he said.
Boyden said he’s not a “workout person” and doesn’t join many contests like the Walking Challenge, but he credits the Wellness Committee—of which Boyden is a member—with creating a fun event for everyone.
“The biggest thing for me, with what the Wellness Committee is doing, is it’s a morale boost for the team,” Boyden said. “When people are doing something together, whether it’s a walking challenge or any kind of activity or event, just getting people behind the same thing, it makes work a lot of fun. I think you need to have fun while you work. If you can’t laugh and you can’t have fun, you’re probably not going to last.”
Occupational Health Nurse, Amelia Brucke, who organized the Walking Challenge, agreed. “Adam got very creative,” she said. Brucke said Human Resources Director Jim Tyznik asked for the Wellness Committee to be re-energized after it faded during the pandemic. “I love doing the Walking Challenge, so I’m working on one for the fall. I want to make it easier for second shift employees to participate,” she said, adding that a second shift person came in second place.
The Wellness Committee, which meets twice monthly, currently includes Brucke, Tyznik, Boyden, Project Manager Brittany Allan, Benefits Analyst Diane Litten, Benefits Coordinator Kim Evans, HR Generalist Heather Paul, LMS Administrator Jill Jackson and Director, Community Engagement Kristen Black. Brucke said the committee is planning many events for the coming months, including a health fair in September. “We’re looking at doing something related every day that week,” she said.
Brucke said the committee sends out an office email to all of the district leadership whenever a major wellness event is planned. “It says this is what we’re doing at the corporate campus and I strongly encourage you to do something for your employees that’s in line with what we’re doing, whether that’s once a month, or each week, or whatever.”
“Events like the Walking Challenge help us have faith in ourselves that we can tackle any challenge that comes our way. If I commit to it, I can make it happen,” Boyden said. “When people get involved in these kinds of things it proves to them that they can do more than they thought they were capable of.”