Brandon nearly made it all the way down under.

“Thanks to everyone who participated in Healthy Brandon in motion’s Walk to Australia,” Mari Kitching, Healthy Brandon in Motion co-chair said.

Between May 26 and July 28 Healthy Brandon in motion invited all citizens of Brandon to walk and register their distance for a Walk Down Under from Brandon, Manitoba to Brandon, Australia.

Individuals, daycares, schools, workplaces and even a Girl Guide group participated in this fun event to get people to be physically active.

More 350 participants were registered and almost 16,000 kilometres were logged.

“We were just short of making it to Australia but it was a fantastic turnout and a fun way to encourage people to be physically active,” said Kitching. “We had lots of other activities that were part of the Walk to Australia challenge and great prizes to give away.”

The grand prize winners were Sandi Leithwood, Marilyn Mulligan, Trent Bartley and Camille Colter, all of Brandon, who won $150 gift certificates toward a pair of walking/running shoes from A & L Get Active.

As for all the other walking activities, Healthy Brandon in Motion has been a part of, Walking Wednesdays were a great success.

Healthy Brandon in motion “secret walkers” patrolled the streets and trails in Brandon catching more than 300 people in motion Wednesday evenings between May to July.

J.R. Reid school won $100 for their phys-ed department by having 267 staff and students walk 3.2 kilometres.

Brandon University took the lead in the Workplace Walking Challenge with an average of 472 kilometres walked per member.