Explore staff step up to compete in annual challenge

Staff working for specialist tour operator Explore Worldwide have stepped up to compete in the operator’s annual Steps for Sanity initiative.

Now in its third year, the initiative challenges employees to form teams and together walk as many steps as possible in a five-week period.

A total of 117 staff members have signed up to this year’s competition – up from 84 people last year – and have been divided into 13 groups of nine.

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Each week, there are additional challenges where teams can earn extra points, such as coming up with the best team name, winning a scavenger hunt, and taking a selfie in a specific location.

Collectively, the teams have taken 16,657,693 steps since the challenge started on February 6, and the team which takes the most by March 12 will be crowned the winner and rewarded with a monetary prize.

Last year, the winning team donated the £280 pot to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

The first Steps for Sanity was introduced during the pandemic to give staff, many of whom were furloughed, a way of staying connected and keeping active.

Caroline Hook, PR and partnerships coordinator for Explore Worldwide, said: “Following its success over the last two years, Steps for Sanity has become an annual fixture, with around a third of employees taking part.

“This year, we’ve created 13 groups, and teams include people from different parts of the whole business from staff working overseas to directors. Everyone works together as a team to achieve their team’s maximum step count.”