With the 2012 Olympic Games approaching, staff at the UCF Recreation and Wellness Center are taking part in a friendly competition of their own.
For nearly a month, staff members have been competing in the RWC Summer Games, a series of team-building athletic challenges that range from sand volleyball to canoe relays to inner tube water polo.
The games — which wrap up July 27, the day of the Olympic Games opening ceremony — were created by the RWC’s Healthy Lifestyles Committee and led by Kimberly Halliday, assistant director for fitness.
“We thought summer would be a good time to put together an event for our staff that would encourage them to try new things,” Halliday said. “Our intention was to create opportunities for people to be physically active, have fun and participate in team-building.”
More than 50 participating staff members were separated into four teams so that employees from different departments could get to know one another. Each team came up with a team name and a flag, and they have been working together to win as many challenges as possible during the four competition days.
Teams are awarded with bronze, silver and gold medals and corresponding points at the conclusion of each event. Competitors also have the opportunity to contribute points to their teams by completing individual challenges, such as swimming the lap pool.
Once the games are over, the team with the most points will win a pizza party courtesy of Flippers Pizzeria.
The RWC hopes to make the games an annual summer event to give its more than 400 employees an opportunity to participate.
For more information on the UCF Recreation and Wellness Center, visit http://rwc.sdes.ucf.edu [1].