Hang out in Fairmount Park on a Tuesday or Thursday around 8 a.m. and you'll soon encounter an enthusiastic group of up to 50 walkers of all ages, backgrounds and fitness levels taking charge of their health with a simple “walk in the park.”

These walkers are participants of Win the Day, an eight-week health and fitness series for residents of Shocker Neighborhoods, the neighborhoods surrounding Wichita State University.

Led by local fitness instructor Denise Colborn, Win the Day is a partnership of Shocker Neighborhood Coalition, Wichita State University Public Policy and Management Center, City of Wichita Park and Recreation, and Denise Colborn Fitness. Funding for the fitness series is provided by a grant from the Kansas Health Foundation.

The classes meet four times a week at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with morning classes held in Fairmount Park and evening classes held on Wichita State University campus.

In addition to improved health for residents of Shocker Neighborhoods, the goals of Win the Day are to help cultivate pride in these communities and strengthen their connection with the university.

“It is great to see Wichita State University and its surrounding residents work together to provide a sense of community both physically and mentally,” says Colborn. “Each participant has made strides in their physically ability as they continue to increase their walking distance. Every session brings great pride to the community that can be witnessed by the continuous increase in participation, the joy and laughter demonstrated each session and by the new friendships that continue to emerge.”

With the help of her “navigators”—Colborn's partner participants who engage neighbors and help keep them accountable—the series has been hugely successful, averaging about a dozen morning walkers and over 50 walkers per class in the evenings.

While the series offers fun incentives for repeat participation, like a digital fitness watch and backpack, most walkers come out to enjoy time with the group around the park or university.

Richard Davis is a diabetic amputee who joined the morning walking group because he says he enjoys the park and his fellow participants. He says it makes a difference “to be participating with people, you know, because you can motivate each other. […] That helps to have them. They encourage you because they say ‘go at your own pace.'”

Davis has even lost weight as a result of his attendance at classes, and he's working up to complete the 5k walk/run scheduled for the end of the series.

“Main thing, you know, is try to complete the course,” says Davis. “It's encouraging, it's something to do, it's a challenge. Even just to finish, you know, I'd take that any day.”

To celebrate the end of the fitness series, Win the Day partnering organizations will host a 5k walk/run for participants as well as the public. The Shocker Neighborhood 5k will take place on Saturday, July 28, with a route starting in Fairmount Park and running through Wichita State campus. Registration starts at 7 a.m. and the race starts at 8 a.m. Cost is $20 for a validated bib tag with chip timing and a T-shirt while supplies last.

Come join us! It's just a walk in the park.

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The mission of Wichita State University is to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good. Wichita State is a doctoral research university enrolling nearly 15,000 students and offering 59 undergraduate degree programs in more than 150 areas of study in seven undergraduate colleges. The Graduate School offers 45 master's and 12 doctoral degrees that offer study in more than 100 areas. Wichita State's Innovation Campus is an interconnected community of partnership buildings, laboratories and mixed-use areas where students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs and businesses have access to the university's vast resources and technology. For more information, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wichitastate and Facebook at www.facebook.com/wichita.state.