Employees at Esso Bermuda have been climbing a 50,000 foot mountain without leaving the Island. Some even managed to get to the top of the mountain and go higher!

Scaling the mountain was possible through the first ever Esso Bermuda Fitness Challenge.

Instigator of the fitness drive was Terri Durrant, retail merchandise specialist at Esso Bermuda.

She said that over recent months there had been quite a few health scares at the company.

The programme was implemented to get employees started on the right track to healthy living.

The programme was first introduced at Exxon Mobil in Coral Gables, Florida and then Ms Durrant modified it for local implementation.

Staff at Esso Bermuda and the Esso stations were invited and encouraged to participate.

Each staff member who signed up had to climb a fictitious 50,000 foot mountain with prizes for those who achieved even greater heights. Every 20 minutes of exercise gained you feet up the mountain and depending on whether you were a beginner, an intermediate, or advanced, you gained more feet up the mountain.

Everyone who made it to the top of the mountain received a T-shirt, a certificate and a “healthy” lunch at the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club. Awards were given to the top three performers in each level.

Mrs. Durrant said that the programme was deemed a success with many of the participants admitting that it has started them on their way to a healthier lifestyle.

There will be a second fitness challenge in November leading up to Christmas when even more staff are planning to participate.