ParticipACTION congratulates Tanya Berry, University of Alberta, on Canada Research Chair

Tanya Berry, a member of ParticipACTION's Research Advisory Group, was recently awarded a Canada Research Chair (CRC) in physical activity promotion by the University of Alberta - a title that comes with a $500,000 award to be paid out over five years. Four new CRCs were announced by the University and include Duane Froese, CRC in northern environmental change; Marcello Tonelli, CRC in the optimal care of people with chronic kidney disease and Lars-Oliver Klotz, CRC in pharmaceutical sciences.

"At the University of Alberta, the CRC program has played an integral role in our ability to develop and enrich a world-class research culture that now attracts renowned faculty members as well as the best in new faculty and student talent," said U of A President Indira Samarasekera.

View an article on the new Canada Research Chairs at the University of Alberta website.

Sogo Active Youth Contest Update

From August to November, 2010, Sogo Active offered a national promotion to encourage participation and peer-to-peer recruitment, asking teens: Can you fill these shoes? Teens were encouraged to register at www.sogoactive.com, create an ongoing Challenge and invite their peers to get active with them. Ninety are being shortlisted for prizes, and twelve will be chosen as Canada's Sogo Active Youth Ambassadors, winning a grand prize of $5000 from Coca-Cola Canada towards their education, a Sport Chek gift card, adidas gear, leadership opportunities and more. The winners will be announced in January, 2011.

Click here to watch a video of an inspiring youth-led Sogo Active Challenge held in Weedon, Quebec.

Stay tuned for more great youth opportunities through Sogo Active.

 The ParticipACTION Partner Network - Building Strength in Numbers

Since the inception of the ParticipACTION Partner Network (PPN) in late 2009, a variety of not-for-profit and public-sector organizations have joined our ranks. The group shares a similar vision - to motivate and encourage Canadians to lead more active, healthy lives. With over 70 organizational members thus far, and with more and more organizations joining every week, the PPN is building strength in numbers.

The PPN is dedicated to those involved in the physical activity, recreation and sport participation sectors. ParticipACTION's belief is that the PPN will not only help support the work of individual member organizations, but will strengthen the physical activity and sport participation sector in Canada.

Membership in the PPN is free and voluntary, and provides organizations with the following benefits:

• Access to desirable and valuable sector information through Partner Forums and free, easy-to-use communications and resource distribution channels
• Membership to the Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC)
• Access to customizable ParticipACTION Tool Kit materials

For more information on the PPN and how the network can benefit you and your organization, visit the PPN webpage or contact Christa Costas-Bradstreet at ccbradsteet@participACTION.com

The ParticipACTION Tool Kit offers FREE communication and promotional materials

To help inspire and inform Canadians, we've developed the ParticipACTION Tool Kit, which contains free communications materials that organizations can use to promote physical activity and sport participation.

Many of the materials are available to all. And if you are a ParticipACTION Partner Network (PPN) member, you can also access customizable materials.

Feel free to view and download the available materials online at the ParticipACTION Tool Kit webpage.

ParticipACTION Tips

For more fun ways to get you - and your loved ones - active, visit the ParticipACTION Fun Tips webpage.

Professional Development

Success Stories 

Fight Diabetes with Urban Poling

As a busy mother of three, Lee-Anne Kennedy finds it challenging to fit workouts into her busy schedule. But as a person with diabetes, she knows that exercise has to be a priority in her life. She's an avid skier, walker and former runner, but her current favourite workout is urban poling, also known as Nordic walking.

"It's so simple to just grab my walking poles and head out the door for a workout," says Kennedy, who is also a nurse and diabetes educator. "Urban poling really helps me keep my blood sugar in a healthy range, and it helps control my weight too."

Using the walking poles properly is the key to getting the benefits, says Kennedy, who lives in Deep River, Ontario. Most people need only one or two lessons to develop good form.

When Margaret Helmuth needs help managing her diabetes, she counts on urban poling, too. She tried brisk walking, but it didn't elevate her heart rate to the level her doctor recommended, and it had only a minor effect on her blood sugar levels.

Then, about two years ago, she found that urban poling offered just what the doctor ordered.

"Walking with poles never fails to bring down my sugar levels," says Helmuth, who lives in Toronto. "And I always reach my target heart rate when I walk with my poles."

For more information on Urban Poling, or to find an instructor in your area, visit the Urban Poling website.

Story submitted by Barb Gormley, Urban Poling Inc.

View other Success Stories or submit your own on the ParticipACTION website.