Those who wish to do something good for their health and the planet can help set two records in the Guinness Book of World Records. St. John Physical Therapy, with help from the St. John and Virgin Island communities, will assist National Geographic Kids Magazine set two Guinness World Records® titles: Most people running 100 meters in 24 hours (you can walk it, too) and Longest chain of shoes (They’ll be recycled into athletic surfaces).
The initiative—called “Run for the Planet”—inspires kids and families to do something good for their health and the environment. Run for the Planet supports First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, which encourages people to get healthy and active. The St. John portion of the record-breaking attempt will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 26, and from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 27, at the National Park Ball Field (across the street from Mongoose junction in Cruz Bay).
Participants of all ages can either walk or run the 100 meters during one of the two time periods. It’s not necessary to stay the entire time, just long enough to run or walk the 100 meters – less than 20 minutes at most.
To help set the shoe world record, participants should bring old athletic shoes, which will be sent to National Geographic Kids and then recycled into athletic surfaces. It is not necessary to participate in both records, but those who want to certainly can.
For more information, contact Jessica Schnell at 514-2376.
“October is Physical Therapy Month, and we are very excited to host this event. Here at St. John Physical Therapy we believe in healing through movement,’” said Jessica Schnell, DPT and owner of St. John Physical Therapy, the local sponsoring organization. “National Geographic Kids has
given us an opportunity to deliver our message to all members of our community and find a way to make staying active fun.”
She said, “It was always my dream to open a physical therapy practice on St. John and in the past year I have been living that dream. I have had the privilege of assisting my patients work towards returning to an active lifestyle. I hope to see many of my patients out on the field, as well as
many other members of our community – young and old and in between. So please come out and join us in breaking two Guinness world records and show the rest of the world the large impact a small community can have.”
Schnell is hoping for at least 200 St. Johnians, and maybe some St. Thomians, on the 100-meter (about 328 feet) track.
Kids and families are invited to get teams, classmates, organizations and communities to join them in setting the magazine’s sixth and seventh Guinness World Records. To break the record, more than 5,000 people worldwide need to run 100 meters between noon, Oct. 26 and noon, Oct. 27, and more than 25,000 shoes will need to be collected and sent to National Geographic Society headquarters by Nov. 9. Other supporters include National Geographic Education; Healthy Kids Fun Run / Marine Corps Marathon (no federal or Marine Corps endorsement implied); Macerich Malls; Kids Run the Nation; National Recreation and Park Association; Let’s Move in School, an American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) initiative; Girls on the Run International; The Life is good Playmakers; and NIH’s We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition)®.
Visit kids.nationalgeographic.com/run-for-the-planet/ for official rules, additional locations and other information.
For more information, contact Jessica Schnell, St. John Physical Therapy, 514-2376; or Judy Buchholz, publicity chair, judybuchholz@me.com, 626-2144.
