How Shell Slovakia and Czechia Built a 90-Day Walking Tradition

Every summer, Shell colleagues in Slovakia and Czechia take on a 90-day walking challenge on YuMuuv. It has become the biggest sports event at the company.

At a glance

Company	Shell, Slovakia and Czechia
Interviewee	Simona Hlinková Geagea, Marketing Activation Specialist, Shell Slovakia; part of the brand ambassador project for Slovakia and Czechia and lead of the walking challenge
Program	The Shell walking challenge, held every summer for 90 days
Who joins	Around 80 colleagues from all Shell businesses in Slovakia and Czechia
With YuMuuv	Several years running; Simona has organized the challenge for about four years
Format	Steps only, with a shared step goal that changes every year, plus team and individual rankings

Background: getting office teams moving

Most of the team works in the office around 20 days a month, mainly behind a computer. The walking challenge gives them a reason to move, and it is open to colleagues across every Shell business in both countries, not just one department.

The challenge was running before Simona took it over about four years ago. YuMuuv was recommended to her, and a quick search confirmed it looked like the best solution. The experience has been good every year, so the team has kept using it.

The program: 90 days of steps, every summer

Timing. The challenge starts in June and runs for three months. Early summer works best: more colleagues join around the holidays, and many also take part in running events held between May and October.

Goals. The challenge is always about steps, not distance. Each year has a new shared goal, such as a walk around the world of more than 50 million steps, and in 2026 a goal themed on Shell’s 35th anniversary. Simona sets the target by how many people sign up: more ambitious with over 80 participants, and still achievable with fewer.

Teams and rankings. Colleagues compete in teams and as individuals. A board in the office shows weekly team standings, while individual rankings are followed in the YuMuuv app.

Communication. Simona sends regular emails and updates. Colleagues also post photos in the YuMuuv chat, often from family hikes, celebrating milestones like a 20,000-step day.

Prizes. The best team and the top three individuals win a small prize, such as a T-shirt or a cap. Prizes are a way to celebrate, not the main motivator.

Results: a competitive, social summer

Seeing colleagues’ progress is what keeps people going. When the person at the next desk has racked up far more steps, others want to know how and try to catch up.

Colleagues swap routines, such as getting up at 6 a.m. to walk before work. One colleague will not go to sleep before reaching 10,000 steps and walks around the house to get there, even after her dog has had enough.

The combination of team and individual views works well. People can compare themselves with each other, and once they are in a team, they also want to beat the rest. The same team won both this year and last year.

It motivates you when you see that your colleague who sits next to you has so many steps.

— Simona Hlinková Geagea, Shell Slovakia

Looking ahead

The cooperation has run for years, and Shell plans to continue. A colleague will take over the organization for the next challenge so the tradition carries on.

I would definitely recommend it to other people and companies who think about how to include sports in office jobs.

— Simona Hlinková Geagea, Shell Slovakia