Remember our 2020 Step Challenge? We loved it so much that we brought it back for 2021 — but we realized we had the opportunity to make the initiative more inclusive and adaptive. So instead, we created the Movement Challenge, and invited RVers around the globe to participate in 21 days of healthy exercise through any movement of their choice.
There was only one goal: reach and maintain an average of 70 movement points (calculated through a fancy fitness tracking app) per day for all 21 days, starting January 15th. The opportunities to earn points were limitless! RVers could dance, skip, swim, cycle, meditate, wiggle, jump, flex, squat, flip … literally ANYTHING that got their bodies moving to benefit their health!
Over 1,100 RVers from around the world rose to the challenge. But one employee DOMINATED the competition — Toya Pitts, averaging 800 points a day (double the number of points earned by the person behind her)! We HAD to learn more about who she is and what she did to earn so many points each day …
Q: You joined the RV team through our Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Road to Hire program*. Tell us about your experience during the program.
A: My experience was amazing. I ran (no pun intended) across an email about an internship that would guarantee a job after graduation with the completion of a B grade average or better. Intrigued by the email, I went to the open house and knew that this was an opportunity I needed to take. The program itself was really unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. I’ve never had a group of instructors so invested in pushing us to be better, not only at the tasks at hand but also in our overall well-being. I was able to grow and push myself at a thrilling speed. I was looking for a new way to push myself creatively and saw that opportunity in the program.
*We’ve partnered up with Johnson C. Smith University and Wingate University. In this program, RVers teach college students digital marketing skills to prepare them for high-earning careers.
Q: After completing the program, you were brought on as an Outreach Associate at RV — after we’d already begun working from home due to the pandemic. What was it like to start your first job working remotely?
A: After completing the program, I felt like I was stepping into a better version of myself, which was exactly why I joined. Starting my first job remotely was an experience to say the least. I’ve always wanted the opportunity to work from home, and it’s crazy how certain circumstances afforded me the luxury. I’ve always considered myself more on the introverted side, but after a few months of quarantine, I am ready to step out of my apartment’s walls.
Q: I heard you are pretty creative and found a way to bring your creativity to your team. Can you tell us about that?
A: Creativity is my passion. For me, creativity means diversity, and it’s the only way I know how to connect with people of different backgrounds. I incorporate this within my team by connecting our content team with professionals from my own network and sharing my own resources to support the team when needed. In meetings, I strive to bring unique ideas that provide value in a relevant but outside-of-the-box way. I have also been fortunate enough to pen an article on the top books written by African American authors. You can read the article here!
Q: Oh, let’s not forget the fact that you DOMINATED the company-wide Movement Challenge. Why did you sign up for the challenge?
A: Crazy story, I signed up for the challenge after having a conversation with my therapist about not knowing what it feels like to give a 110% to myself. I saw the Movement Challenge as a great way to test my limits and see how far I could really go. As a result, I gained a new perspective on what it means to be disciplined and consistent. I learned how to maintain an energy that would push me to be better every day.
Q: What did you do to earn points and what kept you motivated throughout the whole challenge?
A: When I first started the challenge, I was only doing strength training and cardio, but then I realized that I needed to do more if I wanted to be number one. So I started to incorporate more meditation and yoga into the mix. The yoga helped with the stretching before and after the gym, and the meditation helped me refocus/center my mind. I would wake at 4 a.m., turn on youtube and follow along with an instructor. After about an hour, I would head to the gym and workout until about 7 or 8 a.m. I would then repeat the same thing in the evening and end my day with an hour or two of meditation before bed. These activities required me to push myself both mentally and physically.
Q: Why do you think it’s important to exercise the mind and body?
A: Honestly? They are one and the same, they both feed off each other. You can unlock your true potential when you nurture both of these parts of your health.
