Victory was sweet for Edi Upper Primary School students on Friday, who were visited by AFLW North Melbourne captain Emma Kearney as their prize for having the most participation in the Walk to School program.
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For the VicHealth initiative, a record 147,000 students walked and rode more than 1.7 million kilometres to school during term four.
Edi Upper Primary's 546 registered walks clinched them the top prize for the north east region.
Kearney said it was "extremely important to encourage kids to be active".
Edi Upper principal Sarah Patterson said of the win that the students had skipped the bus to walk sometimes six kilometres to school.
"It became a social event and we would set different challenges for each walk such as an A-Z of what they could see," she told The Border Mail.
VicHealth acting chief executive Lyn Roberts said the support of the AFL and the AFLW was a great addition for the program.
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"Many kids look up to their sporting heroes - our partnership with the AFL Players' Association and the support of players like Emma Kearney has helped to inspire kids and parents to embrace active travel," she said.
"With less than a fifth of kids getting enough daily physical activity to be healthy, it's critical to build healthier habits through programs like Walk to School.
"It's pleasing to see that 52 per cent of children who took part kept walking to school as part of their usual routine after finishing the program.
"We hope this visit from Emma will inspire Edi Upper Primary School kids to keep up their efforts well into the future."
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