Living healthy is a team event for travel group

Hiking across the Andes Mountains is not an easy task, one made even more difficult when you are based in New England.
That reality did not stop employees of AAA Southern New England from taking part in a Trek Down the Andes challenge, a six-week contest during which employees took an imaginary walk the length of the 4,200-mile mountain range.
“More than 600 people participated in teams of up to 10 people,” explained Karen Diehl, AAA human resources activity and communications specialist. “Team members exercised about 30 minutes a day and … had fun with it,” she said, with the winning team “traveling” a little less than three times the length of the South American mountain chain.
The company’s health initiative provides support for employees in the form of personal health assessments, on-site cooking demonstrations and a wellness team that acts as an “ambassador for health promotion,” according to Diehl.
Employees are encouraged to be role models and resources. The President’s Health Award is presented to an individual who has shown significant improvement or success in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but nominees are also evaluated based on their ability to support co-workers.
Between 40 and 50 individuals were nominated for the President’s Health Award this year, double the number from last year. •