The Walk For Life ParisX2 season 4 is close to an exclamation point as the event dates draw closer. Organisers are set to witness a milestone in terms of participants.
Here is all you need to know about the most talked about sports event penciled for the month of December!
BACKGROUND & EVENT SCHEDULE
The Walk for Life is an annual health and fitness event organized by the Njalla Quan Sports Academy under the theme “Stay Active, Live Healthy.” The event debuted in December 2020, with subsequent editions held in December 2021 and 2022. Due to internal restructuring, the fourth edition did not take place in 2023 and is now scheduled for December 2024. This event includes a health campaign that screens participants for diseases linked to inactivity, such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. In previous years, the event has collaborated with GREY Lab, the Presbyterian Eye Services, and NGOs like the lya Foundation, enabling screenings for additional conditions, including eye and kidney diseases. The health campaign shall run for two days and concludes with a 10 km sports walk across the city of Limbe, Cameroon. Other activities include health talks, a raffle draw, fitness contest and prize awards for participants.
EVENT SCHEDULE
The 2024 event will run for three days, from Thursday, 12th December to Saturday, 14th December 2024.
Thursday, December 12, 2024
Door-to-Door Health Campaign: Health professionals will provide screenings at multiple locations, reaching individuals who may have difficulties attending the main event due to professional commitments. This innovation has been specifically crafted for working profesionals who have the tendency of pushing their bodies to the limits, neglecting their health or paying little attention to the medical demands of their bodies in the process.
Friday, December 13, 2024
Mega Health Campaign at Manel Eatery (opposite UBA bank, beside the Limbe Community Field): This comprehensive health screening day will bring together specialists, GPs, nurses, and laboratory technicians for free, high-quality healthscreenings.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Animated 10 km Sports Walk: Starting from the Limbe District Hospital in Bota and concluding at NQSA in Man O’ War Bay. Participants will receive T-shirts, warm-up together, and enjoy refreshments and gifts at the end of the event.
THE HEALTH CAMPAIGN
This free health screening program will take place over two days. On Thursday, December 12 2024, two mobile teams comprised of medical doctors, nurses and laboratory scientists will visit workplaces and community sites, bringing medical screening services to those unable to visit the main medical screening site. Cases requiring specialized care/follow-up will be referred to the main screening site on December 13.
Some of the locations chosen (pending formal confirmation in some cases) include; The Royal Chiefdom of Limbe, SAMCO paper Company, Banque Atlantique, Limbe Central Police Station, Limbe Main Garage Newtown, Taxi Drivers Union, GHS Mbonjo and Marcsons Hotel.
On Friday, December 13, 2024, organisers shall carry out a Mega health campaign at the MANEL EATERY. This program will provide medical screenings valued at over 60,000 francs CFA per participant for FREE. Services include blood pressure checks, glucose monitoring, BMI assessments, kidney function tests, ECGs, cholesterol checks, and extensive eye screenings (includes; Visual Acuity, Refractory, Retinoscopy and more). A team of specialists (including cardiologists, diabetologists, nephrologists, ophthalmologists, sports medicine practitioners, and nutritionists) will be present, alongside general practitioners for free consultations. Free transportation will be provided for participants from specific locations in limbe to the screening site.
Additional activities include health talks featuring video presentations to educate participants on the impact of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on health.
THE ANIMATED 10 KM SPORTS WALK
Participants shall assemble at the Limbe District Hospital in Bota at 5:30 am for T-shirt distribution and a warm-up session. The walk will proceed through the city center, with a route that passes through key locations such as Bota Hospital-Espoir College-Comprehensive College- Mile 1 hospital-Half Mile-Church Street-Saker Junction-West End Junction-Jumbo Palace-Manga Williams Avenue- BEAC Junction-Down Beach, ending at NQSA in Man O’ War Bay.
After cool-down exercises and dances, there shall be a friendly group competition or fitness contest in which a grand prize of XAF 250,000 as well many other prizes shall be won. Gifts shall also be distributed randomly to different participants.
At the end of the event, the organizing committee shall ensure that all participants replenish their lost calories. While our sponsors and special invitees shall be treated to a buffet, all other participants shall have a wide variety of snacks ranging from sandwiches, yoghurts and bananas.
Transportation back to the Limbe City center shall also be facilitated by the organisers.
PURPOSE OF THE EVENT
The Walk for Life aims to highlight the importance of physical activity in combating non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. This event promotes sustainable lifestyle choices and encourages people to incorporate fitness into their daily lives.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are among the leading global causes of death, claiming over 36 million lives annually, with over 14 million premature deaths among people aged 30 to 70. Low-and middle-income countries, which account for 86% of these premature deaths, face severe economic impacts due to the burden of NCDs. In Cameroon, over 17 official policies from 1974 to 2019 address physical activity and NCDs, yet awareness and behaviour change remain challenges. Urbanization has contributed to a decline in physical activity, especially among adolescents (WHO, 2020). The ParisX2 Walk for Life aims to combat these issues through its broad-reaching health and fitness initiatives.
Credit: Sportsglitz
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