MEDIA RELEASE
28 March 2014
Sarah Walker sets teens’ wheels in motion with launch of Move60 app

Sarah Walker will host over 100 teens at the Mystery Creek Events Centre in Hamilton tomorrow where they will be gifted bikes courtesy of the Move60 initiative. Move60 is a programme designed to encourage teens to be active for 60 minutes a day. At the event, Walker will also unveil an app that has been designed as a tool to motivate and inspire teens to make moving every day a lifelong habit.

Two further events are planned for Te Ruaparaha Arena, Wellington on Saturday 5 April and the Pioneer Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday 12 April.

Move60, an initiative from Coca-Cola in partnership with BikeNZ and the Foundation for Youth Development (FYD), aims to inspire 100,000 teens to get moving by 2020. The programme is one of four commitments made by Coca-Cola in July 2013, to help to address the issue of obesity in New Zealand.

“We’ve set ourselves a big target,” admits Paul Fitzgerald, GM of Coca-Cola New Zealand. “But we firmly believe that building some activity into your daily lifestyle is achievable for everyone, and hope the app will encourage teens to get out there and have some fun with their friends and explore!”

The Move60 smartphone app has been designed to keep teens across the country engaged and motivated to ride their bikes safely and socially. The app features bike-centric games, challenges, competitions and rewards. It’s free for anyone to download and offers a platform for teens to engage in some healthy and interactive competition as they clock up the kilometres.

At tomorrow’s event, Move60 ambassador and BMX Olympian Sarah Walker will unveil the app, in which she also features. Sarah will then participate in a three hour session led by BikeNZ, that takes the teens through road safety and skills training.

“I encourage everyone to download the Move60 app, and get out there on your bikes. For me, biking is more than just a way of staying physically fit and healthy; it boosts my mood and overall state of mind. I’m genuinely happiest when I’m training or out on the road,” said Sarah.

Foundation for Youth Development Waikato Regional Manager, Vikki Blundell, says the Waikato teens who will be attending tomorrow’s event are enthusiastic about participating in Move60.

“The anticipation has been building as the date the teens receive their bikes and download the Move60 app has drawn closer. Having the chance to go for a bike ride with Sarah Walker on top of that has massive cool factor for them – she’s so positive, talented and inspirational.”

To date 200 bikes have been gifted with a further 400 bikes to be gifted through FYD in 2014. Other activity programmes will be introduced as part of the Move60 programme in the coming years to continue to encourage Kiwi teens to keep active.

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Notes to the Editor:
• To find out more and download the app go to www.move60.co.nz
• For more on Coca-Cola New Zealand’s commitments and the Move60 programme visit www.coca-colajourney.co.nz.
How the Move60 app works:
• Download from iTunes or Google Play
• Register to use the app in Move60 or via Facebook
• Activate the app when you go for a ride and use it in three different ways
- Earn a Badge: complete rides which add up to a badge
- Block Rider: ‘own blocks’ by riding 1km in each one. Take blocks from each other by riding more in that block
- Monthly challenges: complete the monthly challenge

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