Wellness & Mindfulness Special Interest Group: Halfway for the IUGA Across the World Challenge!

Dear friends!

The IUGA Wellness SIG is pleased to announce that all teams are now on Leg 4 of this challenge! Teams have collectively travelled from Auckland to Singapore already (via Sydney and Perth), covering an impressive 5168 miles. All teams are now well on their way to Hanoi, Vietnam…and the race is on! Teams are very close to each other so there is everything to walk/run/swim/cycle for!

There is no let-up though. After Hanoi, there are still 9,402 miles to cover, taking members to Tashkent, Baku, Athens and then finally ending up in London.

It has been fun getting to know other IUGA members through sharing stories, experiences, and activities. Through the challenge we have gained a glimpse into other members’ interests and hobbies; who knew IUGA members were such a diverse bunch? We have carpenters, weightlifters, horse riders, paddleboarders, avid campers and rowers to name a few.

It’s refreshing to see the lesser known side of health professionals and to see many beautiful parts of the world through the lens of our team-mates. The challenge has seen members spot seals, kangaroos, deer, and birds up close and personal with their families, while accumulating mileage for their respective teams.

Photo Credits: Gemma Nightingale, New Zealand (1); Debjyoti Karmakar, Australia (2-3), Aiste Ugianskiene, Denmark (4), Missy Render, USA (5)

As well as the physical challenge this has proved to be, members are also doing amazing work by fundraising for the Foundation for International Urogynecological Assistance’s Nepal Project. If you haven’t been able to participate with the challenge this time but would like to show your support, please donate to one of our fundraisers here. 

Keep up the good work everyone and we are looking forward to bringing you many more fun activities!

Keep moving!