Rapid Ascent is excited to announce that Healthway has confirmed a naming rights partnership with the Augusta Adventure Fest which means the popular adventure race weekend to now be officially known as the Act-Belong-Commit Augusta Adventure Fest for 2013 and 2014.

 

Act-Belong-Commit is a community based campaign promoted by Mentally Healthy WA and is co-funded by Healthway, along with a number of other funding partners. Act-Belong-Commit encourages people to take positive action to improve their mental health and wellbeing, for example by getting involved in community activities. Rapid Ascent believes the confirmation of this new relationship is another sign of the growing acceptance of adventure sports events within the broader community and significance of the events at Augusta.

 

 “We are very happy to be working with Healthway to promote Act-Belong-Commit and help communicate this important health message within the adventure sports community,” said Sam Maffett, Rapid Ascent’s General Manager, event managers of the Augusta event.  “The whole basis of the Augusta Adventure Fest is to get people into the great outdoors, enjoy some exercise and realise how spectacular our wilderness is, so partnership with mental health campaign ties in well with our own beliefs that exercise and fresh air is good for every aspect of your body.” Maffett continued.

 

 Healthway’s Director Health Promotion, Dr Jo Clarkson, said:  “We are very happy to be associated with a sports event that encourages people to take on a challenge, to commit to training and achieve their goals.  “As the Act-Belong-Commit message says, West Australians can build positive mental health by taking action to be physically, mentally and socially active, by staying involved in family and community activities and participating in community events and by making a commitment to challenges or causes that provide meaning and purpose in their lives,” Dr Clarkson said.

 

 The Act-Belong-Commit Augusta Adventure Race was previously sponsored by Anaconda. It includes three different adventure sports events that cater for people with a wide range of athletic abilities. The premier Adventure Race covers a challenging 63km course including trail running, mountain biking, ocean swimming and kayaking and caters for the more experienced (or more determined) competitors. The Mini Adventure Race caters for those who are new to adventure sports with a half distance race whilst kids aged up to 13 years can tackle the Junior Survivor Challenge, a 4km running and obstacle course set up through the bush and beach environment in Augusta. The 2013 event is to take place in Augusta on November 2nd and 3rd and has already reached capacity with more than 3,300 competitors already entered, making the Act-Belong-Commit Augusta Adventure Fest the biggest adventure race in the world.

 

Healthway provides sponsorship to sports, arts, and racing organisations to promote health messages, facilitate healthy environments and increase participation in healthy activities. The key priorities for Healthway are reducing harm from tobacco, reducing harm from alcohol, preventing and reducing obesity, and promoting good mental health.