The Jack Frost Challenge starts up around the province on Satruday. Jaret Olford, the commuter challenge coordinator for the Green Action Centre, says this challenge is in its fourth year. “It runs from the week of Feb. 7th to the 13th. The goal of the Jack Frost challenge is to get Manitobans outside and active. The secondary goal is to raise awareness for sustainable and active transportations in the province. This is one way we can lower our environmental footprint by commuting in a green way.”
Participants can start a team with one to five teammates, and the goal is to reach 130 kilometres worth of outdoor fitness combined between the team. The catch is it has to be human-powered activities like skating, skiing, snowshoeing, running, biking or walking.
Bruce Krentz has started a team in Thompson called the Raven Riders. Krentz says he’s most excited to see more people outside getting active. “As a participant I am most excited about having more people out and active in winter. As you know this really won’t be much of a step out of my regular routine but I am looking forward to the awareness it will raise for getting outdoors in winter. We are a winter city and we should celebrate that and not hide from it. The last few years have been an eye opener for me in terms of how enjoyable and easy it is to be outdoors and active all winter long. I hope more people can share those good feelings.”
Olford agrees that winter fitness is important for this province. “Manitobans have this sort of way of complaining about the winter a lot, and we want that to stop. Our winters may be cold, but it’s also a beautiful place to live. We’re lucky to have trees, fields, and all kinds of environments in Manitoba, so it’s important we get to be outside and connect with them.”
This year the Green Action Centre is celebrating their 30th anniversary, and it’s been asked that participants collect pledges for the centre to help in the mission of sustainable programming.
Josh Cain, the morning show host for CHTM, started a team called the Chili Dogs. Cain says he kickstarted his team because it’s so easy to stay inside in the colder months. “I wanted to get involved with the Jack Frost Challenge because it’s too easy to just hide away indoors all winter long. And this seemed like the perfect chance to break out of that habit for at least a week and really spend some time outside! Plus friendly competition locally makes it a lot more fun.”
The Chili Dogs are working together to collect the 130 kilometres. “Our team has a few ideas to keep the kilometres happening, so far those include walks on the Millennium Trail as well as taking dogs at the humane society for some walks if possible,” says Cain.
The 130 kilometres was chosen because the Jack Frost Challenge happens the same time as a winter bike race from St. Malo, Manitoba to the Forks in Winnipeg called Actif Epica. This race is 130 kilometres.
Randy McKay is a member of the Raven Riders. McKay recently bought a fat bike, which is used primarily for winter cycling. “I researched that fat bikes are able to be driven in five inches of snow, on snowmobile trails, and go places a normal bike can’t go. That is what really caught my interest; more than just putting studded tires on a regular bike, it gave me the ability to go wherever I want.”
However, McKay can’t ride to and from work due to the type of work he does. “I’m always running around, dress wise it’s more complicated. I wanted something I could ride for half a day on trails, or snowmobile trails.”
The $1,800 bike was an investment for McKay and his winter fitness. He hopes it becomes more of a popular thing in Thompson, and is looking forward to taking part in the challenge. “Everyone thinks it’s undoable, and it isn’t. It’s amazing how simple it is to ride a bike in the winter, yet no one does it.”
This year, Olford says Thompson has five teams already registered, and registration is going well so far. “There is a good mix of participation rates from around the province. We have participants in Brandon, Steinbach, Thompson, Carberry, Winnipeg, so it’s quite province-wide.”
