InShape Feature – Medical Giant Stryker Mind & Body Great Adventure Challenge
Stryker, a global medical technology leader and Starlight Children’s Foundation Great Adventure Challenge corporate partner, will once again pit mind and body against Mother Nature in the Royal National Park event on October 14, 2017.
So, just who will win the battle, Stryker or Mother Nature?
The Great Adventure Challenge
Encouraging other organisations to take part in the Great Adventure Challenge, Stryker aims to help sick children, such as Jack, who suffers Deep-Brain Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM), and their families have a better quality of life. Defined as exciting, demanding and inspiring, the event sees teams battle the elements. Also, they use problem-solving skills to negotiate their way around obstacles.
The annual event, in its tenth year, has given over 38,400 sick children and their families access to Starlight’s programs. These programs include Captain Starlight, Starlight Express Rooms and Vans, and Rocket Rounds (ward visits), which run in New South Wales, and other states.
Stryker’s Great Adventure Challenge Experience
Stryker Training Specialist, Claire Jelfs, participating in the event for the third time, explained what’s involved in the corporate challenge.
“For fairness and intrigue, the exact course remains hidden until the morning of the event. Typically, the course is 60km-80km and includes mountain biking, trail running, kayaking and coasteering.”
“In addition to the physical challenges, there’s mystery tasks and navigation which means the mind also gets a good workout. Then there’s the fundraising element of the event which is extremely rewarding,” she said.
Why Did Stryker Choose the Adventure Challenge?
Apart from offering a diverse array of innovative reconstructive, medical and surgical medical technologies, Stryker also is driven to make healthcare better. As such, the company develop neurotechnology and spine products, so people with injuries can lead more satisfying lives.
Ms Jelfs explains why Stryker keeps coming back to compete year-after-year. She also defines why other companies should put the Great Adventure Challenge on their annual corporate calendar.
“Stryker has participated in eight out of the ten events. We’ve won the past three years, and we’ve also won the fundraising component a few times too. So, you could say we’ve come back to defend our title.”
“Jokes aside, we participate because we love helping sick kids and the team building element of the event. This year we have five teams competing. Warehouse, operations, finance, HR and marketing staff are among the participants. Of which, there’s also a good mix of seasoned staff to brand new employees taking part in the corporate challenge for the very first time,” Ms Jelfs said.
How Does the Great Adventure Challenge Help Starlight?
Each month there are over 3,500 visits by children and their families to the Starlight Express Room at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick and John Hunter Children’s Hospital. Captain Starlight visits a further 1,700 children on these hospital wards who are too sick to leave their beds. This initiative is part of a program known as Rocket Rounds. Travelling in Starlight Express Vans, Captain Starlight also visits regional hospitals to visit additional children.
Striving to meet growing demand for Starlight’s programs and the opening of a new SER at Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick in Q4, each participating team is encouraged to fundraise $10,000. This funding helps Starlight reach its New South Wales Great Adventure Challenge overall fundraising goal of $200,000.
Registration closes on Friday 1 September 2017, so lace up those sneakers’. To register your team or for more information about the Great Adventure Challenge, please contact Starlight NSW Partnerships Executive, Kathleen Tan by email Kathleen.Tan@starlight.org.au or phone (02) 8425 5975.
About the Starlight Children’s Foundation
Starlight Children’s Foundation brightens the lives of seriously ill children and their families by replacing pain, fear and stress with fun, joy and laughter. Since its establishment in 1988, Starlight has expanded becoming the broadest reaching and most trusted Australian children’s charity. There is now a Starlight Express Room in every children’s hospital in the country and 150 Captain Starlights nationwide. In 2017, Starlight will open four new Starlight Express Rooms nationally. Supporting sick kids regardless of illness, injury or age, Starlight’s hospital programs are uniquely Australian. Last year, Starlight granted 525 life-changing wishes and delivered more than 425,000 Starlight experiences to sick kids and their families.
About Stryker
Based on performance, innovation and integrity, Stryker is a global leader in the development of orthopaedic products that help make replacement joint act and feel like a natural body part. Making orthopaedic surgery and recovery faster with greater results, Stryker, a Fortune 500 company, produces more than 57,000 products. Founded in 1941, this company exist in more than 100 countries around the world and seek to get more people moving, just like Susan.
