Aiming to spread awareness about mental and physical health, even in its digital adaptation, an ‘X-Athon’ event that gave people a chance to wash away the restlessness of 2020 and step into 2021 with a fresh start concluded recently. It was organised by the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, as its annual half-marathon.
Keeping in mind proper hygiene and social distance norms, 30 participants joined the marathon and spanned 15 km across the city.
In view of the stress and disorder in 2020, the event sought to set a tone of mental and physical wellbeing for all. Thus, the theme for the half-marathon was, “Mental Wellness: One Stride at a Time”. 2020 was marked as a year of struggle, but on the flip side, it was also a year of innovation. In this new normal, while trying to keep the traditions alive, the XIMB students revamped their approach so that participants from around the nation could take part in the event with their loved ones. Over 500 people partook in this virtual marathon.
To motivate the participants, pre-event, the XIMB had hosted two speakers and fitness enthusiasts, Madhulika Sable and Satyabrat Mohapatra, in an online session on mental health and physical wellness topics. Sable and Mohapatra called attention to mental health and highlighted the importance of physical fitness. Yhe participants were given free goodies and e-certificates of participation with the top five performers Ragesh Kollara, Kalpesh Sontakke, Karna Jena, Swadhin Sahu and Jai Dalmia receiving rewards worth Rs 5,000 alongside it.
Following the custom, the XIMB students gave all funds raised from X-Athon for the welfare of differently-abled kids.