With this year’s Pacific Blue Cross Health Challenge underway, past winners Irish Topdas and Aseerat Kaur Nijjar share why they signed up, how the Health Challenge impacted their wellness journey and how they spent their Health Cash.

Launched in 2017, the goal of the challenge was to keep British Columbians motivated to feel their best by taking small, healthy steps that would continue past the challenge.  

“I signed up for the challenge because I wanted to focus on my health, for my husband and my family,” says Irish. “My health goal was to exercise more. I realized if I’m healthy, I’m going to live longer and I’ll get to spend more time with them.”

Participants can choose one of four goals and are encouraged to develop wellness habits like keeping a gratitude journal, listening to a tobacco-cessation podcast or taking a quick 10-minute walk after lunch. This year, four winners will be randomly selected to win one of four prizes of $2,023 in Health Cash.

“I feel like the challenge gives you a reason to start investing in yourself, and also gives you a financial incentive,” says Aseerat. “With the money, it makes you think about, ‘Okay the money is there, what are you going to do with it now?’ It gives you options of what you can do with it.”

Winners can use their Health Cash on gym classes, spa treatments, guided meditation apps or anything else that supports their health and wellness journeys.

“I decided to get an at-home mini-gym with the Health Cash,” says Irish. “I even bought a treadmill and now when I wake up, I like the easy access, which motivates me to work out. Half the struggle of working out used to be driving up to the gym. Now I just play YouTube videos to help guide me on how to use the equipment.” 

Taking part in the challenge is easy, with the hope that it will motivate participants to reflect on their health and wellness goals and develop some healthy habits that will continue past the challenge.

“Since the challenge, I’ve kept up with my diet changes and I’ve been working out consistently at home,” says Irish. “There’s been a huge change in my health… I didn’t even know how sick I was till I started changing my lifestyle and I want people to be more aware and be motivated to make those changes.”

Set your healthy goal today:

1. Go to: pbchealthchallenge.ca
2. Pick your healthy goal
3. You’re automatically entered for your chance to win
4. Share your goal with friends and family
5. Each vote of support collected counts as an additional entry to the Grand Prize draw