Hawea Flat School also encouraged walking & wheeling
In Wanaka, Hawea Flat School also encouraged walking and wheeling during the week. In addition to this, Mark and Jude Elliott led a triathlon programme for the whole school, ending in the triathalon day itself on Friday 2 March.
The programme gives students a classic introduction into the world of triathlons and will no doubt plant the seed for many future triathletes!
Senior students at Wanaka Primary and Holy Family Schools joined forces to compete in the first ever Cycle Championship which assessed students on road safety awareness, bike and helmet safety and their practical skills. Racers Edge and large numbers of parent volunteers made the day possible and the students had a lot of fun. Over 180 year 5-8 students took part on the day, and a total of 10 students got top marks of 100%!
The Walk n Wheels week has been another success involving nearly 2000 students in the Wanaka and Queenstown area, with schools reporting full to over-flowing bike parks (despite adverse weather!).
Some schools saw big increases in the numbers of children walking and wheeling during the week, for example Wanaka Primary more than doubled their rate, Holy Family School nearly tripled theirs, Hawea Flat School got 3 and ½ times more students walking and wheeling and Remarkables Primary also saw a 32% increase in students walking and wheeling to school. The final results ended with a prize draw for 2 bikes won by Remarkables Primary (courtesy of Element and Avanti in Queenstown) and Wanaka Primary School (courtesy of Racers Edge and Trek in Wanaka).
Students had a fun week, making big improvements with their cycle safety skills and showing great commitment to active transport. Another big winner was the level of community involvement. Road safety agencies, local businesses, families, students and schools all came together to work on the common goal of increasing safe and healthy travel choices for our young people in the Queenstown Lakes district. So the benefits are not just for our students at the centre of this campaign, but for the whole community. A big thanks to everyone who made it another great success.