Global Corporate Challenge
The Global Corporate Challenge is a health and well-being event aimed at improving the fitness levels of office workers and raising the awareness of employee health.
The event promotes 10,000 steps per day as a way to tackle the growing epidemic of an obese and overweight global workforce and reduce the alarming increase in the accompanying Type II diabetes, cardio vascular disease and cancer.
The Global Corporate Challenge event is often referred to simply as GCC (a registered trademark of The Global Corporate Challenge). With participants in 65 countries, the GCC slogan is to ‘Get the World Moving’.
Origins and History
The Global Corporate Challenge (GCC) was founded in 2004 in Melbourne, Australia by former Australian Olympic champion Herb Elliott, advertising executive Glenn Riseley and Australian nutritionist Shane Bilsborough MSc (Human Nutrition). The GCC has offices in Melbourne, London, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Toronto and New Zealand. Global Corporate Challenge is listed 39th in the BRW 2010 fast 100, and was 40th in 2009.
The Event
The GCC runs from May through to September annually.
Organisations form teams of 7. Participants receive a starter pack that includes 2 pedometers. For each of the 16 weeks of the GCC, individuals enter their daily step count (and bicycle/ swimming activity) into the GCC website. Steps are then converted to a kilometre/mile distance, and the team’s progression is plotted along a virtual tour of the world. Participants are encouraged to aim for 10,000 steps per day – the World Health Organization recommended average daily steps for a lifestyle to be considered active.
GCC Participants by Year
Year |
Number of Participants |
|---|---|
2010 |
97,804 |
2009 |
59,619 |
2008 |
49,539 |
2007 |
23,376 |
2006 |
13,501 |
2005 |
10,073 |
Research
Independent scientific studies have been conducted on the GCC event.
In 2009, The Heart Disease and Diabetes Prevention Centre in conjunction with Monash University's Faculty of Medicine undertook a major study involving participants in the GCC.
In 2010, the Foundation for Chronic Disease Prevention, Lancaster University studied the GCC event’s effect on physical and psychological states.
Sustainability Victoria, a government based environmental agency, research is conducted each year into the changed travel behaviours of GCC participants during the event.
Footprint Initiative
The Footprint Initiative encourages participants to make a one-off donation to a less fortunate community. This occurs during the challenge, where the impoverished community is a location on the event’s virtual tour. In 2010 The Iganga Babies Home, Uganda was the basis of the Footprint Initiative.
Global Children’s Challenge
The Global Children’s Challenge is a free health initiative for children. For every participant who takes on the Global Corporate Challenge, a child is sponsored on the participant’s behalf to enter the Global Children’s Challenge free of charge. This initiative is run through primary schools to create healthy lifestyles and habits in early life. Olympic Champions Colin Jackson and Cathy Freeman are ambassadors for the Global Children’s Challenge.