Pipestone Flyer
Answering the invitation to attend the fourth annual Get Up & Go Girl workshop, 97 enthusiastic young women from across Leduc County and some from Wetaskiwin came to the Thorsby Arctic Spas Recreation Complex on Saturday, March 2, 2013.
The Go Girl one-day workshop promotes healthy self esteem and body image, and encourages fitness through participation in a variety of eight sports and recreational activites including:
Disc Golf (Instructor: Andrea Oneski) is similar to traditional golf but uses a flying disc instead of a ball and club.
Geocaching (Andrea Oneski) Oneski describes geocaching as a “free, high-tech outdoor treasure hunt…an extreme scavenger hunt.” Players try to locate hidden containers containing trinkets and messages called geocaches using a smartphone or GPS unit.
Ten-year-old Samantha Lebrecque enjoyed her first time geocaching. She described how her group of six followed the arrow on the GPS unit map to the treasure site. Finding the containers is the exciting part because they hold prizes. “We found three containers and took the surprises—an armband, a pencil and a rubber ducky—and then we wrote a note saying, ‘Group 2 found this.’ It was fun. I wish we could do it again.”
Samantha may not have long to wait. Oneski said there are many geocaches all over Leduc County. The County hopes to make the four GPS units used during Go Girl event available for Program-In-A-Box (a box with a variety of sports equipment which can be signed out for group get-togethers and later returned). While Oneski cautions the Program in a Box is still a work in progress, she hopes the program will be ready for this coming summer.
Hula Hooping (Ciara Toupin)—not exactly the lightweight neon-colored hula hoops of yesteryear, these hoops are 2 pounders that are wrapped with tape to add grip. Active hoopers can burn up to 400 Calories per hour. Hooping offers a great non-impact cardio and toning workout. Many report meditative qualities as well.
Pickleball (Melinda Pharis) Pharis describes Pickleball—which is becoming a very popular sport with seniors—as a racquet sport played with a paddle and a perforated hallow plastic ball over a badminton net. “Many of the girls said they want to play more. There is now talk of introducing it here for the youth.”
Self Defence (Aaron Young) is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one’s property or the well-being of another from harm.
Ultimate Frisbee (Lindsey, Tasha, Merilie, and Victoria from the Edmonton Ultimate Players Association) is a non-contact, competitive team sport which combines the best aspects of football, soccer and basketball.
Yoga (Deirdre Payette) Yoga has many physical, mental and spiritual benefits.
Zumba (Vicki Ornberg) is a fitness program featuring dance and aerobic elements that improve muscle strength, posture, mobility, and coordination.
RCMP Constables Friesen and Young of the Thorsby Detachment presented a special session on Bullying. Thorsby Rec Director Kelley Probe described it as a “positive, interactive presentation on how to deal with bulling. It was well done.”
Lunch was catered by Kollbrook Esso. A large number of individuals helped make the day a success: Nicole Harrish and Nicole Seidel also assisted with sessions. Stacey Crow/Crow Enterprises was a major sponsor of the door prizes and a key sponsor of the Go Girl Workshop. Leduc County also provided pencils and bags and subsidized the cost of the event. Promotional Wearhouse donated hoodies for each girl—many girls immediately put them on and kept them on for the duration of the workshop. Community Fit donated the gift bags. Andrea Oneski donated cake pops. Rae-lyn Myrglod donated Tupperware water bottles.
Go Girl is a collaboration between Leduc County, the Village of Thorsby, In Motion Network, and Thorsby Community Fit. Next year, it will be expanding to include both New Sarepta and Thorsby.