Serco Australia a finalist in VicHealth Awards with Fit For Life – Park Athlete Program

Serco Australia has today been named a finalist in the 2019 VicHealth Awards - these Awards showcase the trailblazing health promotion work happening across Victoria and recognise excellence in helping Victorians to live healthier, happier lives.

Serco has been recognised in the category of promoting health through physical activity and sport with the Fit For Life – Park Athlete Program. The forward-thinking initiative is aimed at creating “Park Athletes” and provides a holistic conditioning program designed to improve team wellbeing and performance for the Turf and Sporting Ground teams who keep the City of Melbourne’s iconic parks and gardens in pristine condition. 

Serco Health and Wellbeing Lead Jenna Toovey said physical and psychological conditioning is common place in elite sport and fitness training programs. “When conditioned for the specific demands of a sport, an athlete or team can reach their potential and optimise performance. We have taken these principles and contextualised them to our workplace to create this innovative program,” she said.

“Our Turf and Sporting Ground Team are within a key health risk demographic for cardiovascular disease. We also wanted a program that would help protect the team from lower back injuries, strains and issues associated with manual handling and equipment use. This program is vital in ensuring the health and wellbeing of our team.” 

The positive impact on participants has been significant. Since the program’s launch the team has seen improvement in:

•    Average systolic blood pressure reduced from 144.5 to 127.0 mmHg 
•    Trunk endurance (+14.2%), abdominal strength (+18.6%) and lumbar endurance (+9%)
•    Workplace engagement score increased 19 points compared to 2018.

Designed with professional sports training principles in mind, the innovative program incorporates a combination of Exercise Physiologist led training, individual mobile app-based activities, health literacy and additional clinical support.

The 2019 VicHealth Award Ceremony will be held on Tuesday 3 December 2019. For more information on the awards visit: https://vha.awardsplatform.com/gallery/QaxqeQNV

ENDS

Image: The Fit For Life - Park Athletes in action

Media contact: Tim Evans, +61 409 389 358
General media enquiries: Serco media line, +61 (0) 2 9409 8700 or [email protected]