July 23, 2004
Maryland Legislator wins "Tour de Salt Lake" Fitness Challenge
Del. Eckardt wins $1,000 for district and yellow jersey for 22-mile effort
SALT LAKE CITY - Maryland State Del. Addie Eckardt of Cambridge can claim the title as having the best legislative legs in the nation, as she bested her colleagues from across the nation in the Step With It legislative fitness challenge during the National Conference of State Legislatures' Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City.
NCSL, in cooperation with Coca-Cola and the American Heart Association, sponsored a contest to see which state legislator could walk the most steps during the meeting.
Organizers say Del. Eckardt, a former marathoner, walked 44,670 steps, or the equivalent of 22 miles, during the 2-1/2 day competition in and around the 300,000-plus square foot Salt Palace Convention Center. The Step With It program offered the winner a $1,000 grant to be used toward the winner's physical activity program of choice in the winner's legislative district.
Del. Eckardt chose the Dorchester County Family YMCA as the recipient of the grant. She also was the recipient of a yellow jersey for her victory in the Tour de Salt Lake. While it may clash with her trademark pink, she was pleased with her win.
"The best way to promote a healthy lifestyle is to model it," says Del. Eckardt, who usually walks for an hour plus every day. When not biking, the psychiatric nurse has started a walking group with her patients and walks with a group of legislators and lobbyists at the Capitol.
The challenge started on Tuesday, when legislators started receiving pedometers to track their progress. As America strives to control the obesity epidemic, project organizers hoped the challenge shows that people don't have to spend weeks biking through the Pyrenees Mountains to stay in shape. Experts suggest setting a goal of 10,000 steps a day - the equivalent of five miles.
The Step With It program is being activated in school districts all over the country, said Matt Echols, of Coca-Cola. This legislative fitness challenge shows legislators how to incorporate physical activity into everyday life.
Suzanne Smith of the American Heart Association agrees. What we are trying to do with the pedometers is to show that small steps make a difference, in personal health and when legislatures take action to make healthier communities.
NCSL's health program reports that the pedometers are popular and the lure of a prize has encouraged more members to take part.
This challenge is a great way to demonstrate how easy it can be to fit physical activity into our daily routine, said Leslie Robbins of the NCSL Healthy Community Design program. We hope that when legislators go home after participating in this challenge, they think about how walkable their own communities are, Robbins added.
NCSL's Healthy Community Design program is a cooperative effort among several organizations. It promotes active living as a way of life that integrates physical activity into daily routines through community design.
NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American Federal System.
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