The University Recreation Center is doing the Turkey Trot 5K challenge to engage the community in taking care of their health throughout November.
Vriseyda Calzada, fitness and wellness assistant for the Recreation Center in Brownsville, explained the inspiration behind this event.
“We all got together and we had a meeting and we all felt, like, oh, to celebrate the holidays [and] … to get people introduced into a healthy lifestyle,” Calzada said.
Since this is the second year this event is being held, she spoke about how participation has changed.
“What’s different this year is that I feel that more students are, since we did get a lot more students this year enrolled, we feel that like oh, there should be more participation,” Calzada said. “And not only that but, like, more inclusion with everybody … more students can come together and participate in these challenges.”
Gilberto Lopez, recreation program coordinator for the Brownsville Recreation Center, said this event is interactive with the community.
“People would message me like, ‘Hey did you get my time?’” Lopez said. “And so people get kinda competitive and so they’re competing against other people, so it’s just for fun for us. For these events, we want to make sure that we have our UTRGV community active during the holidays.”
Calzada highlighted this challenge can be completed wherever and whenever the participant wishes to run.
“You do it at your own pace,” she said. “You don’t feel as much pressure, and I feel that thought the STRAVA app was something unique about that is that you are open and welcoming to the app.”
Lopez said those interested in joining the challenge are welcomed.
“People can do … a mile a day or maybe half a mile every day and they’ll still be able to achieve their goal for the challenge,” he said.
Lopez said the main goal of this challenge is for people to pay more attention to their health.
“We want to make sure that people that are participating that they’re staying healthy and they’re being a little bit more conscious about their health,” he said.
To join the Turkey Trot Challenge, register through V Link at https://utrgv.campuslabs.com/engage/submitter/form/start/645164 and download the STRAVA app to keep track of your progress.
