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Sports Backers Blog

CarMax Drives Employee Wellness with 10k Training Team

CarMax associate Adina Nickerson got her start with the company's wellness programs and 10k training team, and now she is helping her co-workers reach their fitness goals.

By: Kayla Young


In June 2008, Adina Nickerson made the decision to become a healthier and happier person. With two small children to set an example for, she took initiative and made a change.

“I realized that if I didn’t take time to embrace health and wellness into my lifestyle than I couldn’t give my children what they deserved,” she said.

That change in lifestyle altered Nickerson’s perspective on exercise, and more specifically, running.

“If you would have asked me four years ago if I wanted to go for a run, my answer would have been, ‘I only run if someone is chasing me,’” she said.   

Despite that initial reaction, Nickerson was able to work up the courage to participate in her first organized run, a five-mile Turkey Trot in November 2009. After that, she was hooked, and has since completed three 10k’s and numerous 5k’s.

Luckily for Nickerson, she received support for her goals from a variety of sources, including the place where she spends the majority of her time during the week: her office at the Richmond headquarters of CarMax, where she works as an Executive Assistant.

Nickerson praises CarMax’s employee wellness programs and believes that support was a big reason she was able to make so many positive changes to her lifestyle. “CarMax is a unique employer,” she said. “They not only promote health and wellness for everyone, they also provide encouragement and resources to all employees.”

CarMax recently earned ‘Active RVA Certification’ from the Sports Backers’ Active RVA initiative for implementing innovative programs to promote physical activity in the workplace. The company provides a wide range of focused programs for employees including discounted gym memberships, a CarMax fitness group on Facebook, employee recognition programs for health and fitness, and a nationwide 10k training program for CarMax associates.

While the 10k training program is offered to associates across the country, the timing is coordinated so Richmond employees can train for the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k on April 13. Nickerson now serves as a coach for the program, and when she was approached about being a training team leader, she thought it would be a great opportunity to share her passion for health and wellness with others.

“Watching the team progress from week to week and develop their self-confidence is quite enjoyable. I am impressed with the dedication and positive energy the group provides each other,” she said. “The CarMax 10k Training Team has been one of the most rewarding opportunities I have been involved with.”

This will be Nickerson’s third time participating in the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k, and she looks forward to helping her team meet their goals. She also knows that the support of an employer like CarMax, which embraces employee wellness and physical activity as part of the company culture, gives associates the extra mental and physical push they need to make positive changes.

“Health and wellness come from the mind, and if you believe you can do it, you will,’ Nickerson said. “No matter your shape, size, age or physical ability.”

For more information and registration for the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k, visit www.sportsbackers.org.

 

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