The Student News Site of Stratford Academy

Stratford Gazebo

The Student News Site of Stratford Academy

Stratford Gazebo

The Student News Site of Stratford Academy

Stratford Gazebo

Keeping track

Fitbits keep teachers, students active

stecher
Math teacher Mr. Bobby Stecher gets competitve with his Fitbit. (Photo by DAVID MATLOCK, Gazebo Staff)

By DAVID MATLOCK, Gazebo Staff Writer

While students keep track of their activity for personal health, some teachers wear their Fitbits for a competitive edge.

Mr. Bobby Stecher, chairman of the math department, competes in a prestigious circle of teachers from around Georgia, mostly childhood friends, and they have daily step count competitions.

“I need my Fitbit for tracking my steps for 10,000 steps a day,” Stecher said. “It has really helped me stay connected with my old childhood friends from simply seeing who can walk the farthest in a day.”

The daily walking competitions keeps Stecher in shape. He emphasized how Fitbits keep him connected with some of his lifelong friends. The sharing capabilities keeps the competitors honest, usually, and connected from long distances away.

Last year, Mr. Stecher challenged fellow math teacher Mrs. Shannon Boswell in daily step competitions, and they became very heated contests, often leading to tears.

“Oh, Boswell would always beat me in the step competition,” Stecher said. “I haven’t challenged her yet this year, but I look forward to it.”

Fitbits are capitalizing on the fitness craze in America. The slender wrist watches double as the typical watch, and they track vitals of the person wearing the wristband.

The vitals tracking capabilities of the Fitbit are quite remarkable because of their ability to understand the lifestyle of the wearer simply from being on their wrist.

“It’s really quite scary how well this little thing knows me,” said journalism instructor Mr. Ed Grisamore. “It’s like Santa Claus. He knows when you’ve been sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. I’ll wake up, and it will tell me just how well I slept. I didn’t even know how well I slept.”

As a runner and an avid bro-style lifter, senior Walker Gibbons relies on his Fitbit to measure his progress throughout the week.

“It is really important for me since I run cross-country, so I like keeping up with all my running: how far I run, how many steps, and how long I run for,” Gibbons answered.

Beyond the competition field, senior Cameron Walsh carries her Fitbit as often as she can.

“I mainly use it because it is better than a regular watch, and it tells me how active I am,” Walsh said.

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Keeping track