Thursday 14 February 2019 2:20pm
The Dean of the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences Professor Chris Button is one of around 100 staff members taking part in this month's Aotearoa Bike Challenge. Photo: Sharron Bennett.
The University of Otago is doing well half way into a month-long workplace cycling challenge which aims to get more New Zealanders onto bikes – but with two weeks to go more staff are encouraged to sign up.
Otago is currently sitting eighth nationally in the large employer section of the Aotearoa Bike Challenge which began on 1 February, and is the second placed university. But Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) Professor Richard Blaikie is encouraging more staff to get involved.
“Reasons for engagement with this are multi-fold, including the health and cost benefits for individuals commuting by bike or walking,” Professor Blaikie says. “Also our University Sustainability Strategic Framework has clear goals to encourage sustainable transport and reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions.”
"While this is a competition, it is really more important to see so many organisations take up the challenge to encourage more people to bike for fun, fitness and commuting."
The 2019 Aotearoa Bike Challenge follows last year’s contest, which saw more than 14,000 people from over 1,600 organisations taking part, including over 2,600 new riders. Participants collectively made more than 159,000 trips by bike and cycled nearly 2.1 million kilometres.
Staff can still register for “Team Otago” – and Professor Blaikie, who already cycles to work every day that he can and for fitness in the weekends – says he is enjoying having his rides logged.
“I use an app on my phone called “Ride” to automatically log all my bike rides onto the Aotearoa Bike Challenge website.”
However, he says the challenge is about more than clocking up kilometres.
“While this is a competition, it is really more important to see so many organisations take up the challenge seriously to encourage more people to bike for fun, fitness and commuting.”
The Dean of the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences Professor Chris Button, who rides to and from work from his Careys Bay home each day and is one of around 100 staff members currently taking part in the challenge, encourages others to give it a go.
“It's good for you, it’s good for the environment, and it’s free - why wouldn't you do it? Once you get into the habit of doing it you'll find it much more pleasurable than driving. As long as my legs will allow me to I want to keep riding.”
Want to sign up?
Take a look at the Aotearoa Bike Challenge Website and register for Team Otago and your home Department. There are also separate teams registered for the University of Otago, Christchurch and University of Otago, Wellington.