A simple challenge that sparked change.

Two weeks ago, I found myself in the midst of a challenge organized by my department. With Eid ushering in a long weekend, we decided to challenge our colleagues to stay active over the three days. It sounded simple enough—the office was split into groups, and each member had to run or walk for all three days, covering at least 1 km, tracked through the Fitpage app. But there was a catch: if anyone in the group fell short, the entire team would lose, regardless of the distance the others had covered.

I was a part of the 'Winning Team,' or at least that's what we called ourselves. Despite being someone who's usually glued to my desk, I was determined not to disappoint. When Saturday arrived, I woke up at 6 am, battling my brain's sleepy protests with the reminder that this was my day. Putting on my shoes and popping in my earphones, I headed out.

After about 15 minutes of walking, I hit the 1 km mark. Hitting this milestone would have sufficed, but I kept going. Two kilometers down—I was on a roll. By the time I returned home, I had completed 3.10 km, and I proudly shared my achievement in our team's WhatsApp group, receiving cheers that fueled my enthusiasm for day two.

On the next day, I pushed even harder, logging 3.7 km. By the final day, I managed a whopping 4.63 km—a personal record! Though the challenge ended, I've made it a habit to walk after work and on weekends. Who knew a simple challenge would bring such a phenomenal change to my life?