Students walk to school

Geelong primary kids have walked around the world twice in a month, according to new data.
Well, that was the equivalent distance they travelled on foot during October’s Walk to School Month in Geelong, according to VicHealth calculations.
VicHealth found that students of Geelong schools registered to participate in the month covered 78,351km in 109,124 walks.
Each student participated in an average of just over 14 walks for the month.
Nazareth Primary School principal Paul Cahir said the response from families to the month of walking was overwhelming.
“The campaign has been really positive for us this year and we don’t think we would have had the same drive to make it a success without the support and encouragement of the staff at Healthy Together Geelong,” he said.
Nazareth students and families who recorded their Walk to School experiences cited exercise, time to talk with parents and friends and an increased sense of independence as some of the benefits of participating in the month, Mr Cahir said.
Local participation in Walk to School Month was increasing steadily each year, according to councilor Andy Richards.
“We’ve gone from 193 students participating in 2012 to a whopping 7475 this year. That’s less traffic on our roads, reduced congestion around schools and healthier, happier kids at school.”
VicHealth research shows that children are more likely to meet Australian physical activity guidelines if they walk or ride to school.