I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize all of the Wellness Champions who rallied their teammates to join the spring wellness challenge, Couch to 5K. Championing a culture of wellness can be difficult in a shifting and virtual environment, and our network of Wellness Champions continues to communicate Wellness Connection programming to their colleagues and connect employees with vital University resources. Leading up to the spring challenge, they provided feedback that helped us successfully launch a new kind of wellness challenge in partnership with WashU Program in Physical Therapy.
Approximately 2,600 WashU employees participated in the WUC25K challenge. The charts below demonstrate that while Champions made up 4% of all participants, they led the way as Team Captains – 27% of all team leaders were Wellness Champions:
My sincerest gratitude to our Wellness Champion network for encouraging your colleagues to carve out time for themselves to be active during the challenge.
A special shout out to each of our Wellness Champion Team Captains:
| Wellness Champion Team Captain | WUC25K Team Name |
| Babka, Jenny | Stroke Striders |
| Barrett, Cheryl | Heme Team Movers |
| Biver, Sam | Salt-N-Stepa |
| Brady, Laurie | MaRs Movers |
| Burns, Atiqua | 5KReady |
| Byers, Jennifer | SkyWalkers |
| Casanova, Cheri | PsychMovers |
| Chappell, Cindy | Lab Rats |
| Colson, Rebekah | Couch pOTatoes Unite! |
| Daphna-Iken, Dorit | Walking for fun |
| Dickey, Denise | Radiators |
| Dilberovic, Vildana | PT Dream Team |
| Downey, Rob | RM Sourcerers |
| Early, Rosalind | Spin Doctors |
| Everett, Sydney | Skandy Steppers |
| Fleshman, Linda | WashU Warriors |
| Flynn, Kat | Herd of Turtles |
| Fuchs, Jean | Biology Lifers |
| Hammett, Mary | Tater Trots |
| Helms, Victoria | Sleep Walkers |
| Hildebrandt, Theresa | Too Inspired to be Tired |
| Holzhauer, Jennifer | Child Psych team |
| Horn, Theresa | Protective Services 24/7 |
| Hummel, Melissa | Rad Walkers |
| Hundley, Chelsey | Run WCC |
| Hyde, Krista | Fit for Safety |
| Jennings, Lara | OISS & CDI Trotters |
| Johnson, Rachael | Trailblazers |
| Knoten, Amanda | Keepin’ it Renal |
| Leingang, Karen | Just Do IT |
| Lischer, Melanie | OT Clinical Movers |
| Lohmann, Sherry | PT Cruisers |
| MacKay, Donna | The running Eyes |
| Matteuzzi, Christy | Lit Fitness |
| Matuszczak, Richard | Can you see me now? |
| McDaniel, Shonda | Scrambled Legs |
| Minner, Monika | Life is good |
| Patterson, Jamie | Major Steps&Capital Gains |
| Patterson, Kim | PBS CHAMPIONS |
| Patterson, Michelle | ENVSyOOS |
| Pena, Sheri | No Spring Chickens Here |
| Perlow, Leslie | United Pursuit |
| Peterson, Kim | Let’s Do This |
| Putney, Meredith | Phase I |
| Quest, Nate | Olin GPOff the Couch! |
| Richardson, Jana | Oto Team |
| Ruwitch, Melissa | Healthy HABIFS |
| Schreier, Linda | The Stat Pack |
| Schulte, Danielle | Ion The Prize |
| Schwieterman, Jessie | Lymphfamily Couch to 5K |
| Sharma, Mala | Team Awesome |
| Tallchief, Dani | Sleep Walkerzzz |
| Tigges, Lisa | Beeting the Pavement |
| Todd, Lauren | Run the World |
| Vaeth, Jen | Legal Legs |
| VanEssendelft, Amy | CEL Cruisers |
| Warren, Amy | Psyched for Wellness |
| Wiegert, Andy | OEasy like Sunday Morning |
| Williams , Nygel | Fast But Not Furious |
| Williams , Paula | DOMs Stepping Out Team |
| Wilmot, Tara | The Walkamolies |
| Wellness Connection Staff Teams | |
| Hafner, Nikki | Easier Said Than Run |
| Buschhorn, Lauren | Walkie Talkies |
| Page, Emily | The Mood Boosters |
Join our growing network of Wellness Champions! Learn more about the role here.