By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter


Saleh Ghanim al-Ghanim, a Qatari national, bagged the top award for the “Step into Health” programme of Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF).
Al-Ghanim disclosed that he walks an average of 8km per day at the Aspire Dome. He starts at 3:30pm and ends at 5:30pm.
“Sometimes I am with my family, sometimes I am alone walking,” he said. “I feel good whenever I finish my routine.” He had been walking for nearly eight years and continued the exercise even during the holy month of Ramadan.
Al-Ghanim and nine others, including an Indian lady, received their prizes on Friday night at a simple ceremony at the Aspire park. Some mascots entertained young children and families who attended the function.
Latha Unnikrishnan bagged the second place. She recorded more than 400,000 steps in almost one month. She also prefers to walk at the Aspire Dome but sometimes, she would do it at the Aspire Park.
The Gulf Helicopters employee told Gulf Times that the programme has motivated her to do more exercise. Besides walking, she also does a separate workout in the gym in a hotel. “Sometimes I also swim and jog,” said Unnikrishnan who joined the AZF programme last year.
She cited the importance of using a pedometer where walkers could monitor their steps. “You would always want to break your record and do more walking,” she added. The third placer is also a female Indian.
Winners also included other expatriate workers like Filipinos and a Kenyan.
Step into Health programme has now 17,489 members and they have together walked 3,416,529,959 steps or 2,252,344km, according to its website. The programme encouraged members to walk 10,000 steps or more a day “in a non-competitive, recreational and social way.”
AZF has also launched its “Walk More…Walk in Malls” initiative earlier, urging residents to walk along the corridors of the malls especially during this hot season.