5 years of ASB with Activy!

Preparations

Intensive promotion of the challenge is no longer needed: everyone remembers the campaign and looks forward to spring, when the challenge starts every year 😊 This shows how well the initiative has caught on and how important a place it has in the company life of employees.  

The key information about "ASB on Bike" is published on the internal portal and on screens in the shared areas of the office. They show graphics with the scores, the official results of each edition, how kilometers convert into the charitable cause, summaries and, this year, also a reminder that walks and jogging count for points too.

The challenge also has its own permanent section in the onboarding presentation for new employees, which shows that "ASB on Bike" has become part of the company culture!

How the challenge went

The challenge at ASB lasts 4 months. That is the right amount of time to build a healthy routine, so that exercise has a chance to become a permanent part of the daily schedule. The organizers believe the initiative helps participants catch the "sports bug", so that physical activity becomes part of everyday life, also after the 4-month challenge ends. 

At first, the challenge was for cyclists only. Later, when it became possible, running and walking were added. Employees liked the idea: more activity options led to a significant increase in engagement. The name stayed the same, though, because the initiative is strongly associated with the "ASB on Bike" slogan.

The sports challenge with Activy is not the only form of activity ASB organizes for its employees. The company takes part in relay marathons, a volleyball league and tournaments. Without a doubt, one of the strengths of "ASB on Bike" is how long it lasts. A full 4 months is very attractive for the teams.

An important aspect for participants is the flexible timing: you can join at any point during the campaign. The division into monthly rounds is also motivating, as it increases the chances of winning a prize. 

A charitable cause is always an additional factor that engages employees. This year, the support went to Polska Akcja Humanitarna (Polish Humanitarian Action) in connection with the war in Ukraine. In previous years, help went to, among others, the beneficiaries of the Fundacja Rak'n'Roll.  

Participants could form their own 3-person teams. In this year's edition, twice as many teams were created as before: team play is growing. In 2022, participants were accompanied by two missions with fun facts from Activy. The first led them around Poland and the second around the world. It was an interesting extra.

Next year, the organizers plan more missions like these to make the game even more intense, for example 20 km in two days or 100 km in a week. 

Exercise is part of my life. I am glad that my love of sport and my commitment could motivate other participants of the challenge in our company - Aneta, challenge participant

Results

In "ASB on Bike", prizes are awarded for first, second and third place in each edition, which ends with the end of each month. After each round, the competition starts over, but a prize can be won no more than twice, which brings more variety to the monthly rankings.

The prizes are very attractive: the winners receive equipment and accessories related to physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. The main idea is that they are useful. This year alone, the prize pool included a wireless speaker, GoPro cameras, blenders for healthy drinks, a camping tent and a coffee machine, among others. 

One participant stood out for her exceptional commitment and motivation. Aneta was the undisputed leader of this year's challenge.

Under the rules, after winning twice, the Reporting Manager could not win prizes in the following months. Even so, Aneta stayed involved and kept working hard for the company's overall result, riding record distances every month. She admits that the charitable cause motivated her the most.

Aneta, who rode more than 3,000 km by bike (mostly around the city), shows that physical activity can be part of everyday life. Despite a busy schedule with work, family life and personal commitments, Aneta always finds time for cycling, which is an irreplaceable way for her to relax. Her attitude is very motivating for the other participants.

The competition often lasted until the very last hour, especially when the gaps between the leaders in the rankings were small. This year's edition had a true sporting spirit. Even people who did not take part in the challenge cheered the others on. This was very positive and a real form of support. Of course, nobody wanted to be at the bottom of the list 😉.
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"ASB on Bike" does not bring fierce rivalry into the office, but the participants are ambitious. The points system matters here, as does the fact that regularity counts. This is motivating: every day, participants try to do at least a short bike ride or go for a short walk. 

All employees look forward to the summaries. Once, a summary came out a day later than usual, and the questions started right away: has something happened? 😊 Before the pandemic, the prizes were handed out at a ceremony in the company's conference room, and at the end of the challenge everyone took a group photo with their bikes in front of the office building.

All participants were happy to join these photo sessions, whatever place they had finished in. It was the official wrap-up and it attracted a lot of interest.

Now, because of hybrid work, all results, summaries and current news have moved to the company intranet, and the prizes are handed out at the office or sent by post.

For many people, the bike has replaced public transport or their own car. In many cases this not only saves time, but also brings a lot of satisfaction. Daily physical activity puts employees in a good mood. Collecting more points in the challenge is a pleasure too 😊.

During lunch breaks at ASB, people often talk about "clocking up kilometers", the routes they have covered and their sporting achievements. Employees motivate each other to be active, celebrate successes together and share their emotions. All of this has a very positive effect on the atmosphere in the office.