Making a Big Splash Over Healthy Lifestyles

It’s still pretty cold in most of the country to think about swimming, but we’ve found a great partner to help us promote healthier lifestyles among young people. Healthy living is a big priority in Scouting and has been since we began offering outdoor adventures more than a century ago.

USA Triathlon announced earlier this month an alliance with the Boy Scouts of America for its third annual Splash and Dash Youth Aquathon Series, which runs from March through November 2014.

While still a competitive event, this series focuses on participation and having fun. Many of the events are not even timed. It’s open to young athletes from ages 7-15, and is comprised of 50 swim-run events across the country.

What a great way to get the attention of young people who often shy away from competitions like these because they think they are not “good enough” or don’t have the “star quality” to participate. The goal of the Aquathon series is all about encouraging participation to improve the health and well-being of the nation’s youth population, an approach I heartily support.

It’s a terrific time to promote healthier lifestyles at the end of this Winter Olympics. The more opportunities we can provide our young people to learn the right way to compete while improving their health at the same time, the better our future as a healthier America. I’m really looking forward to seeing our Scouts and other young people take part in these Aquathon events.

We’re also developing a co-branded SCOUTStrong® Fit-Fuel-Fun patch to distribute to all participants. We all know how Scouts love patches!

How do your organizations work to expand physical fitness opportunities? I think partnerships like this are extremely helpful – do you agree?

Thanks!
Wayne