Daily Mile links Gold Coast to island pupils
ST MARY & ST MICHAEL Primary School had a special message from a Commonwealth Games athlete to celebrate their walk from Guernsey to the Gold Coast as part of the Daily Mile initiative.
The Daily Mile is a worldwide scheme adopted by more than 3,000 schools that encourages children to walk or run a mile each day.
Since the beginning of the year the students at St Mary & St Michael have completed theirs at Delancey Park each morning.
Last week, schools that are participating in The Daily Mile together set themselves the target of walking/running the distance from Guernsey to Gold Coast, Australia, where Guernsey’s team will be competing in two weeks’ time.
Guernsey-born triathlete Josh Lewis Skyped in from Gold Coast, where he is in training for this year’s games, to congratulate the children on their efforts.
Education Services’ lifelong learning manager Alun Williams said:
‘Josh Lewis is such a good role model for the kids as he’s someone who was a good little athlete but worked really hard to get to the top.’
He said that The Daily Mile really sets children up for the day.
‘The benefits are in emotional health and wellbeing and the results have been really encouraging so far,’ he said.
‘One unintended consequence of this is that the school has started up a cross-country club, which is great.’
Co-ordinator of the scheme at St Mary & St Michael and leader for mental health and wellbeing Emily Vile said they were rolling the scheme out to have relevance elsewhere in the curriculum.
‘They have booklets to keep a note of how far they go each time and how they are feeling afterwards. That way they are competing with themselves rather than each other.
‘The next step will be to get some fitness trackers for the school and to learn about converting distances.’
