2021 SPIRIT of Wellness: Pulling together for health
If you’re looking to improve your mental wellness, ConocoPhillips employee Tonita Gomez de Moran has some words of wisdom for you.
“The most difficult step to take is the first step,” she said, “so do not be afraid. Mental wellness is just as important as physical, emotional and spiritual health.”
Tonita Gomez de Moran, left, with husband, Marcos, and their two children, Fernando and Clara.
Tonita said she realized the importance of mental health during and after her battle with breast cancer.
“It was clear to me that without a positive attitude, the brutal treatment would take a bigger toll on my body.”
Tonita, a change, problem management, and disaster recovery analyst at the company’s Bartlesville, Okla., campus, was among the thousands of ConocoPhillips employees and contractors who participated in the 2021 SPIRIT of Wellness challenge, a six-week competition featuring health and wellness activities. During this global campaign, held June 14-July 26, employees and contractors participated as individuals or as part of a team. The event included three challenges: Move, Eat Right and Stress Less. Recording their activities daily, participants earned points and tracked their progress on Individual and Team Leaderboards.
While Tonita focused on her mental health, Sani Dadan, a senior field rotating equipment engineer in Indonesia, pushed his physical limits by cycling and running.
Sani Dadan
“Go further … go faster … go higher and stay safe,” Sani posted on Yammer in the final days of the challenge, just days before winning the Individual Champion category with more than 290,000 points.
Tonita and Sani’s self-improvement efforts reflect the essence of this annual event, a challenge that played out in every location where ConocoPhillips operates around the world. Even in Malaysia, where the country remained on COVID-19 lockdown, employees walked, ran and jogged 10K steps around their homes every day, participated in virtual exercise classes and cooked healthy recipes.
In the Team category, the Indonesia business unit won for Division One (Large Division), and the China business unit won for Division Two (Small Division).
Check out these photos highlighting participation around the world:
China organized a sports competition with teams competing in four events. Following the motto “Health is wealth,” China employees achieved a 100% participation rate and collectively averaged over 140,000 points.
Members of the Global Water Sustainability Center team display polo shirts they won for registering for the SPIRIT of Wellness challenge. Eighty-six percent of Qatar business unit employees registered for the event. Front (left to right): Eman Al-Shamari, Dareen Dardor and Mashael Al-Maas. Back: Arnie Jason, Dr. Samer Adham, Nabin Upadhyay, Joel Minier Matar and Altaf Hussain. With COVID-19 restrictions still in place in Qatar, workers got creative, participating in online fitness workouts and the virtual Journey to Calm series to relieve stress.
HR Advisor Tanya Abbott and her husband, Jason Abbott, traveled to Iceland during the 2021 SPIRIT of Wellness challenge. They completed a short hike to reach a black lava field created by the Fagradalsfjall volcanic eruption.
In the U.S., dietitian Leah Gayowski hosted a virtual cooking demonstration in July, showing participants how to make an overnight oats recipe and a one-pot Mediterranean chicken and quinoa dish. In addition, participants were encouraged to explore the Global Kitchen, a food and nutrition platform that provided insight into the various food cultures in countries where ConocoPhillips operates and incorporated recipes submitted by employees from around the world.
At Australia’s Gladstone Health & Wellness Family morning, 70 adults and children --- including Frankie Groat, son of ConocoPhillips employee Carmen Groat --- enjoyed healthy foods, a Ninja Dash Inflatable course, yoga and meditation sessions.
During Indonesia’s Sport & Wellness Competition, participants enjoyed a variety of activities, including a weight-loss program, tennis, table tennis, badminton, walking and treadmill. Weekly virtual activities included fitness classes, meal prep, mood-boosting food choices and mental health discussions.
During Singapore’s unique “Go Green Project,” employees grew a Butterfly Pea or Blue Pea plant and shared transition photos during the challenge of the seed germination. At the end, there were blooms!
