The power of senior-level support in helping employees make healthy decisions and  some good old fashioned competitive spirit were recently on display in the first ever “Beat the Chief” challenge, sponsored by Virgin HealthMiles.  During the two-week challenge, Virgin HealthMiles CEO Chris Boyce and Tom Linebarger, CEO of one of the company’s leading clients, Columbus, Indiana-based Cummins, put it all on the line to see which executive could burn the most calories.  At stake was a $1,000 donation to the charity of the winner’s choice.

The competition was fierce, with both Boyce and Linebarger tracking their daily calorie burn and progress using Polar™ heart rate monitors and the HealthMiles program’s tools. The two also engaged in some friendly, motivational “trash talk” on the challenge’s website throughout the event.  In the end, Boyce was crowned this year’s champ, with an impressive 58,951 calories burned. Boyce said he’ll donate his $1,000 winner’s prize to Virgin Unite.  And in the spirit of the competition, Boyce said he’ll also donate $1,000 to Tom Linebarger’s charity of choice, Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana.

“Chris’ activity level was impressive and he outperformed me,” said Linebarger. “I received a lot of encouragement and support from Cummins employees from all over. The notes of encouragement, the healthy lunches and delivering exercise equipment to my office all helped keep me motivated. At Cummins we offer many health resources to our employees and their families. I hope this competition helps emphasize the importance of making a steady effort to stay healthy for the long term.”

“Tom is one of the most active and fit CEOs I know, which is reflected in the emphasis Cummins places on creating a healthy workforce,” said Boyce. “Tom’s outstanding daily performance in the challenge inspired me to kick up my activity level a few notches to keep pace with him. And knowing our employees were working hard to best our progress was also incredibly motivational. Challenges like ‘Beat the Chief’ provide important motivation for Virgin HealthMiles members to stay physically active.  I’m honored to have won this year’s competition, and am pleased to donate the prize to Virgin Unite and Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana.”

Employees Literally ‘Sweat it Out’ to Best CEOs’ Performance
Employees from both Virgin HealthMiles and Cummins (U.S. and U.K) also took part in the competition to see whether they could burn more calories and beat their respective CEOs’ performance. The top contenders from the companies were: Karl S. (32,950 total calories, Cummins U.S.), Johannes S. (29,535 total calories, Cummins U.K), and Dustin A. (17,617 total calories, Virgin HealthMiles).  In recognition of their top place finishes, each of these individuals will receive $1,000 from their companies to donate to a charity of their choice.

Learn more about the Beat the Chief challenge at www.beatthechief.com.