WilCo Trounces Travis County In Health Challenge

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Williamson County employees, their family members and retirees recently tied up their laces and aired up their bicycle tires to compete in HealthCode’s April Million Mile Month Challenge, officials said.

As first-time participants, county participants were unsure how well they would do. Yet after just the first week, county officials report, it was clear they were running to the head of the pack. And by the end of the month, they were in first place after completing 107,770 miles.

Million Mile Month is a global virtual activity event during which participants can register as part of a team to collectively count the miles they have walked, run, biked or swum. It's one of several events organized by HealthCode, a 501c3 nonprofit that promotes health to prevent disease.

Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell took on the challenge given by Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt with hopes of beating its big neighboring county to the south. Even though they had more total employees, WilCo officials said, Travis County ended up finishing 29th with 9,398 miles logged.

“It started out as just a fun event to win bragging rights, but it turned into something much more for our county employees,” said Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell. “They started walking and didn’t stop. They seemed to thrive under having this common goal and encouragement to exercise. They would walk a mile during lunch or as a break in the morning or afternoon. I would look out my window in the courthouse and see them walk by, and sometimes I would join them. People knew if they wanted a few minutes of my time, we more than likely would talk and walk at the same time.”

Steve Amos, executive director of HealthCode, said he was gratified with the outcome: "Their experience is exactly what we hope will happen, that people will make movement more a part of their everyday life for a healthier life," he said. “With proper nutrition and exercise, it's possible to reduce the risks of diabetes, depression, obesity, heart disease, and some forms of cancer.”

Williamson County had 1,239 people register on their team, roughly two-thirds of their friendly competitor's workforce. The employee with the highest miles, Brandi Gerstner with the County Clerk’s Office, logged 910 miles and placed 24th overall.

“I was not training for anything specific<" Gerstner said. "My ultimate goal was to improve my overall fitness level. I started off with a pretty simple goal, just to beat what I had done the day before. I just wanted to challenge myself to make small improvements every day.”

The participation level was such a success that Judge Gravell plans to have the county participate every year, he said: “Employee wellness is very important. Anything that can get our employees this energized and unified and is a positive influence in their lives is something we want to keep encouraging.”