What do pandas, moose, and the Statue of Liberty have in common? DCG’s Summer Wellness Challenge!
Summer is made for adventure, and DCGers dove right in with the 2025 DCG Summer Wellness Challenge. Think sunshine, plot twists, and a dash of friendly competition.
The challenge was created by Deputy Director of Workforce Strategy Daniel Edwards, who was looking for a fun way to bring our far-flung team together. Over four weeks, DCGers logged miles and pages like pros, while Daniel charted progress on an interactive map that tracked our wellness road trip.
Mary Roh captured nature in all its glory near the Dark Hollow Falls Trail in Shenandoah National Park.
From July 10 to August 13, we biked, walked, and climbed through 16 states, Washington, D.C., and St. Kitts. We covered national parks, state parks, neighborhood parks, nature sanctuaries, golf courses, an 867-foot rock formation, and the National Zoo. We saw pandas, moose, snakes (probably venomous — Lily Richardson didn’t stick around to find out), a whale, and the Statue of Liberty. We felt a whole lot of humidity and — whether exercising our bodies or our minds — a tremendous sense of accomplishment.
Allison Weinstock got a great view of the Statue of Liberty at Liberty State Park in New Jersey.
Amie Lopus spotted a deer in her city neighborhood.
Amanda Bevis saw a moose on Moose Alley Trail in New Hampshire.
The highlight of Megan Wojcik’s trip to the National Zoo was seeing the pandas.
Here are the results:
Exercise Challenge
RESULT: 2,541 miles, covering roughly San Diego to Tampa
Walk/Run Champ: Shelly Storey — 184 miles!
Biking Champ: Alex Keckeisen — 404 miles!
Mental/Intellectual Challenge
RESULT: 15,389 pages read
Winners: Kara Schiaparelli and Rebecca Richey — 1,739 pages each!
Amy Lexson on an adventure at the Redridge Dam in Michigan.
Here’s what some of the winners had to say:
Shelly Storey
Shelly and her pup, Skylar, on their daily walk.
“[My husband] Dave and I take our pup, Skylar, on a daily two-mile stroll, but for the challenge, we kicked things up a notch! We explored shady parks with cool streams to sneak in extra weekend miles. I even walked every golf course I played — yes, even when it was blazing hot and a cart sounded heavenly. Gotta rack up those steps! At Meadowbrook, a curious fox strolled right up to our cart, and at Mountain Dale, we spotted a moose and her calf. We also packed in plenty of steps at outdoor concerts (plus dancing!) and a day at Lagoon with our nephew and his kids — full of walking, laughter, and a few roller-coaster screams.”
Shelly saw a moose and her calf at Mountain Dale in Utah.
Kara Schiaparelli
“I’ve always been a voracious reader, and I try to read at least 20 to 30 minutes per day before bed. This challenge was built for me! During this challenge, I read and completed Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings, The Let Them Theory, and Do Let’s Have Another Drink!: The Dry Wit and Fizzy Life of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, as well as bits and pieces of other books. I would definitely participate again! I’m always reading.”
