Dream Team: Going for the Gold
We are the champions: Team Plum Chameleons (from left to right) include Matt Howard, Lauren McCaskey, Rebekah Love, Donna Reen and Tracy Callahan.
Fifty-four teams. 270 employees. One team fought to the end and came out on top in the summer steps challenge.
Olympic athletes weren’t the only ones competing for gold this month. For five weeks, 54 teams across Cape Cod Healthcare participated in the Invitational Team Steps Challenge, which inspired healthy competition among colleagues.
Two teams were neck and neck until the very end. The Plum Chameleons, with 3,444,719 cumulative steps, brought home first place, while the Cyclamen Chameleons followed close behind with 3,405,860 steps. Teams could choose to participate in a variety of activities, including walking, running, biking, golf, yoga, tennis, pilates—even grocery shopping! A chart made it simple to convert active time into steps. Team names were chosen from a pre-set list of colors and animals.
Team Cyclamen Chameleons (from left to right): Diane Wright, Ellen Cart, NP, Kelly Mason, Abigail Raymond, Heidi Burchell
“It’s helpful to stay on track with a group because as an individual, it’s easy to sluff off,” says Rebekah Love, Quality Improvement RN, VNA, and member of the top team Plum Chameleons. “When you’re with a group or on a team with like-minded individuals, you are more likely to hold yourself accountable for pushing a little harder.”
The Plum Chameleons goal was to reach 18,000 to 20,000 steps each per day. “I think we are all pretty competitive,” says team member Matt Howard, senior manager, education and infection prevention with the VNA.
Kelly Mason, patient benefits specialist in behavioral health and a member of the second-place team for most cumulative steps, Cyclamen Chameleons, says her group motivated one another by sharing photos of their activities, including bike riding, spin classes, yoga and swimming. “We sent chats throughout the day to remind all of us to get our steps in and entered on time,” says Mason, who took regular walks with her team during lunch breaks. “Even now that the challenge is over, we are keeping it going and encouraging one another to always get up and keep moving.”
The five-week challenge also included each team competing against one other team for one week, for a total of five rounds. Teams were matched up according to their step counts for better competition.Teams that won all five rounds each received a $50 gift card and teams that won four rounds each received a $40 gift card.
Congratulations to all the winning teams and everyone who participated!
Below are the results of Top 5 teams who participated in the five-week challenge:
The top teams were ranked according to the number of wins they had out of 5 rounds.
Below are the Top 5 teams with all 5 out 5 wins.
1. Plum Chameleons
- Donna Reen
- Rebekah Love
- Tracy Callahan
- Matthew Howard
- Lauren McCaskey
2. Mauve T-Rexes
- Stephanie Creswell
- Katherine Goulart
- Lorenzo Pizarro
- Elizabeth Bowes
- Erin Clancy
3. Midnight Sailfish
- Courtney Kelly
- Laurie Hahesy
- John Summey
- Forrest Murphy
- Megan Braun
4. Magenta Rockets
- Nicosia Pinnock
- Louisa Mellor
- Maryanne Lucifer
- Sherri Hefferan
- Lisa Schlesinger
5. Periwinkle Bees
- Alexandra Decker
- Sarah Vaughan
- Laura Vindick
- J’nae Glasgow
- Jennifer Kunze
Most Cumulative Steps:
1. Plum Chameleons
3,444,719 steps
- Donna Reen
- Rebekah Love
- Tracy Callahan
- Matthew Howard
- Lauren McCaskey
2. Cyclamen Chameleons
3,405,860 steps
- Diane Wright
- Ellen Carty
- Kelly Mason
- Abigail Raymond
- Heidi Burchell
3. Emerald Eagles
3,383,018 steps
- Kimberly Watts
- Elizabeth Ellis
- Nicole Spurr
- Anne Nastasi
- Kenneth Barr
4. Maroon Bees
3,103,009 steps
- Beatrice Gremlich
- Calle Gartside
- Christopher Lawson
- Kriste Hancock
- Deborah Dougherty
5. Turquoise Baboons
3,000,005 steps
- Karen Coy
- Lyssandra Ju
- William Lank
- Aimee Garthee
- Christina Seymour
