Almost to the Top, Reaching for Self Esteem
Starting in the early 1970s, the non-profit agency encouraged Canadians to get fit. The program included a series of television ads that encouraged people of all ages to “keep fit and have fun.” The program ran for three decades, until its funding was cut in 2001. [CBC]
It was announced today that the Federal government pledged $5 million (over 2 years) to renew ParticipACTION to help Canadians develop healthier lifestyles.
Not sure if the two are related, but when we were in elementary school we had the Canada Fitness Program. It was a check-list of tasks to complete including (but not limited to) long distance running, push ups, sit-ups, and of course, the all-time most-feared - the shuttle run.
Recently in an episode of Corner Gas one of the cops, Davis, was tricked into thinking there was a fitness requirement for the force so he got Brent’s dad to whip him into shape. Oscar went old-school and used the Canada Fitness program to get Davis going. It brought back so many memories, especially of the dreaded shuttle run.
Once a year the older grades would have a list of fitness activities to complete. Depending on the level of difficulty you were able to accomplish, you were given a Canada Fitness Award. They were little badges ranging from bronze, silver, gold and the BEST you could achieve was ‘excellence’. This was a most-coveted badge and in my grade 7 year I reached it. Unfortunately due to a teachers’ strike in the spring, I was never awarded my badge. Go figure.
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February 19th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
I too remember Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod! I wonder if they’ve been resigned with the program? Something tells me that’s unlikely; they were good and all, but they seemed a little dated, even in their heyday. If they even had a heyday…
Oh and I’m pretty sure the best I managed was a silver badge - I was sort of chubby in Junior High - I wonder if I kept it somewhere??
February 20th, 2007 at 12:59 am
I think I got Gold only once ever in the 6 or so years I had to do the Canada Fitness Test. It was the slow sit-ups that killed me. And it was the push-ups that I swear built the upper-body strength that I carried through post-adolescence to still be able to do now.
I’m curious to see what the new ParticipACTION ads will be like - they were kind of hokey even for the time.
February 20th, 2007 at 8:44 am
Reading that totally brings back the absolute dread I had at the prospect of the flex-arm-hang. Everything else I was able to do at the “excellence” level. The arm thing? I sucked. Still do.
February 20th, 2007 at 8:49 am
I think they used to let girls to “girl” push-ups but I always wanted to do “real” push-ups cause I thought I was all tough.
February 20th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
I don’t remember the flex-arm-hang but apparently the girl I work with was ’school champ’
February 20th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I remember one task being completely unattainable… maybe it was the arm thing. There was a rule on the way you were supposed to do it - the wrong way was really easy but the right way was really hard. Maybe our teacher let that one slide for us…
February 21st, 2007 at 1:13 pm
I always wondered if Johnson and McLeod were married, or lovers, lol.
“Doo doo-doo doo doo doo…Body Breaaak….oooooo yeah!”
February 22nd, 2007 at 11:34 am
I think the two of them would be an *awesome* halloween costume.. I just need to convince a buddy one of these years
OR.. the golden girls.. no one wants to do that one with me either ….
Did u guys ever do Countdown 26? We’d get to school *early* and run 26 laps around the entire school. I should be a little more supportive of recreation and atheltics since my mom actually worked for parks and rec but man oh man… did I hate forced things like that
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:42 pm
I used to LOVE the shuttle run. When I was 7 I was posting times that they said a 12 year should be able to score. I agree about the flexed-arm-hang, though. That one was HARD.
June 17th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
[...] Sometimes I’ll make a totally old school remark that John just doesn’t get. This can usually be explained by the fact that he grew up in Iowa, and I was born and raised in Surrey. Some things are purely Canadian or even West Coast. For example, he has no idea who Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod are [Ms604]. [...]
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:56 am
[...] to a BodyBreak ParticipACTION announcement from Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod I discovered that 2008 is the UN’s [...]