Graduating student Erika Marteleira is taking U of G’s tag line to heart. She is looking to change lives and improve life right here on campus by motivating people to get “In Motion.” She’s leading this new initiative through the Health and Performance Centre to encourage people to become more physically active.
The In Motion campaign will focus on how exercising, taking up a new sport, or doing some outdoor activity can improve health and lifestyle.
“Many people face barriers that make it difficult for them to achieve an active lifestyle,” Marteleira says. “Work, kids and other things take up their time; they think they cannot fit anything else into their schedules. We want to show people that there are a lot of different activities to fit many different needs.”
The initiative grew from the regional In Motion campaign that involves several University departments and City of Guelph agencies. U of G’s Health and Performance Centre is one of the main University sponsors. Director Cyndy McLean decided to build on the week-long community effort and applied for a grant through Student Affairs for an ongoing U of G In Motion campaign.
The grant was used to hire Marteleira. For the next six months, she’ll be developing outreach initiatives, including a website with everything from tips on nutrition and exercise to motivational real life stories.
And she’s looking for some good tales to tell about people who have improved their lives by becoming physically active. “We want to show the ways that people from diverse backgrounds can achieve a healthy and balanced lifestyle.”
The personal success stories – perhaps your personal success story − may range from how people have incorporated activity into their busy lives to how they’ve overcome major obstacles to get physically fit. “The goal is to inspire and motivate people who want to be active but face obstacles,” Marteleira says. “Sometimes all it takes is reading something, maybe about another person’s experience, that has some relevance to your life and situation. Learning about some of the great programs in the community might provide someone with the information they needed to start an active lifestyle.”
The website will include places in the community where people can go for activities, including walking and biking trails, running groups, recreation centres and special events. There will also be a space for people to post questions and have them answered by specialists.
“We want to show people that there are a lot of options. Being active doesn’t have to mean joining a gym; it can mean walking your kids to school instead of driving them, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or throwing a Frisbee around outside.”
For example, Marteleira enjoys outdoor activities, especially hiking, camping and biking outdoors. “I just fixed up my bike for the season, and my goal this summer is to build my own road bike.”
The 2011 environmental sciences graduate is considering a career in journalism and was drawn to the project by the idea of meeting new people and telling their stories. If you’re interested in being interviewed about how you’ve incorporated physical activity into your life, email Marteleira at emartele@uoguelph.ca.
“I just love talking to people,” she says.