NHS x Echelon: A Charity Ride to Support St Barts
St Barts Health NHS Trust and Echelon came together with a joint vision to create a memorable fitness experience for the staff at St Barts Hospital in London. The collaborative event was an opportunity for Echelon to thank the essential workers for all their hard work and dedication. Additionally, it was a chance for the NHS (St Barts) staff to relieve anxiety, encourage wellbeing, and boost morale.
Global Community
We challenged the NHS staff to take on a Relay Ride, where they had to form teams of six and race against each other on the Echelon Leaderboard for 75 minutes straight.
Alongside the relay, the entire virtual Echelon community was encouraged to jump on the Relay Rides at home, help support the 12 teams of hospital staff members, and ride together. Many at-home riders showed their support by creating fundraising pages or purchasing exclusive event t-shirts. All of the Echelon Relay Ride t-shirt profits go directly to NHS Charities Together and St Barts Health NHS Trust.
Hosted in the Courtyard of the oldest hospital in London, event capacity maxed out at 80 riders who committed to the race, the cause, the energy, and the incredible feel-good vibes!
150 Minutes of Friendly Competition
By 4 pm, the atmosphere was high, with riders ready and waiting to jump on their bikes for the two relay rides. Echelon UK Instructors Susanna and Rowan led the two 75-minute classes, and everyone knew the next 150 minutes were going to get tense with the competition!
It was time for the first ride led by Rowan, with the starting teams quickly clipping in, setting their resistance, and following our road cycling champion instructor as he guided them up the Leaderboard. Cheers, claps, and beams of encouragement from the teams began to fill the tent. “You’ve got this! Keep going! Climb that Leaderboard!” — all words echoed across the Courtyard as the teams battled it out.
After a much-needed pitstop of 15 minutes following Rowan’s ride, the next St Barts teams were getting themselves geared up to tackle 75 minutes with Susanna. The energy certainly didn’t decline with the second ride, as teams were just as enthusiastic as before, all quick to encourage their teammates as they took on this challenging endurance ride.
Finishing Strong Physically + Mentally
Throughout the rides, both instructors spoke about the importance of mental health in the workplace, including the benefits of exercising as part of a healthy daily routine. Our London-based duo had time to chat about lots of things during their 75-minute rides, including asking the big question of, “are you a cuppa tea person, or do you prefer coffee?” The banter became a delightful distraction to those who were starting to get tired legs.
The Leaderboard was glowing with NHS profile images and their fantastic team names. Alongside the NHS competitors on the Leaderboard, the global Echelon community gathered to help show support and encouragement. “Love the NHS” and “Thank you NHS” were just some of the updated statuses from our riders — all sharing their thanks to the UK’s incredible National Health Service.
A plethora of smiles, sweaty selfies, costumes, and high fives could be seen across the challenge tent as riders rode their final minutes of class. After a burst of energy to cross the finish line, teams applauded one another for their incredible efforts in completing the Echelon Relay Ride.
Continued Support
If you missed out on getting your Echelon Relay Ride t-shirt for the event or would like to purchase one in support, please visit our website here. All proceeds from t-shirt sales will go to NHS Charities Together and St Barts Health NHS Trust.
New to Echelon? Join our global community to experience the camaraderie that the NHS staff enjoyed during the Echelon Relay Ride event.
