We are taking a bit of time to reflect on how some of our programs over the past semester may have changed the live of UBC. With this in mind, we wanted to declare May’s UBC Health Heroes: the almost 400 staff and faculty who took part in the 2012 Amazing Race Health Challenge who have found ways to continue incorporating healthier habits into their everyday lives.

Liu Institute's Sun Run Team (including the Lovely Ladies of Liu on the right: Julie, Patty and Jane)

We checked in with Patty Gallivan, one of three Lovely Liu Ladies (of the Liu Institute for Global Issues).  They were the winning team, so we thought who better to ask how her life and the lives of her colleagues may have been impacted by participating in the Amazing Race.  We also asked her to share some of the ways they managed to beat the other teams.

Patty explains that the UBC Amazing Race Health Challenge started just after healing from a broken wrist and ankle, but still undergoing a lot of physiotherapy and acupuncture treatments.  She was able to actually benefit from the treatments, collecting points on most visits.  She also outlines that she is quite health conscious, committing herself to eating nutritious food and putting in at least an hour and a half of cardiovascular fitness every day.  During the Challenge, she dusted off her old cookbooks, committing to trying out a new recipe almost every day, and used some mobile technology to help her get additional points, such as using an app for her phone to play scrabble and invited 11 different people to play “words with friends” (similar to scrabble) games with her during the time of the race.  The Liu Institute’s workplace culture also had an influence on her ability to collect points: they hold many events on global issues so it was easy to attend or discuss such topics with her colleagues.

But what lasting effect did the Amazing Race Health Challenge have on her habits?

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