A secondary academy based in Pontefract is taking up a new challenge during the lockdown period, taking on the 100k in May challenge.

Staff at ���ϳԹ��� Hemsworth, based on Wakefield Road in Hemsworth, are taking on the challenge to help promote being active and the importance of positivity for a person’s mental wellbeing.

The staff at the academy, which is providing essential childcare for the children of key workers and those most vulnerable during this turbulent time, are also challenging the academy’s students and local community to join them in embarking upon the 100k in May challenge.

Aleksandra Korab-Karpinska, a PE teacher at the academy who is leading the academy’s attempt to complete the challenge, said:

“The 100k in May challenge is great for many reasons. It is helping promote awareness of important causes, such as motor neurone disease, and it is also helping people keep active during this lockdown period we are in.

“It has been shown many times how remaining active has a strong positive impact on a person’s mental wellbeing, and we want to promote this. Not just to the academy’s staff, but also our students.

“That is why we are challenging our students  and the local community to join us in this challenge and they can keep us updated with their efforts on social media by using #KeepHemsworthMoving.”

People can get involved in the challenge by walking, running, cycling or anything that gets their distance up during the course of the May. Then they can record their activity on social media by sharing their achievement and a selfie of themselves.

So far staff from the academy have shared pictures of themselves running with their dogs at 7am, as well as cycling through forests and fields.

Aleksandra added:

“Essentially we just want to help people make the most of their daily exercise hour. If you can do activities at home then that is great, but if you can't then it is important to ensure you utilise the hour as best you can.”

The academy hopes to provide weekly updates on who is leading the staff vs student battle, and is asking students to ensure they log their activities on the academy’s VMG Classroom.