From London to Lithuania: The 1220 mile challenge

A group of ten of our colleagues have completed a 1220 mile challenge taking them virtually from London to Lithuania in a bid to improve their physical and mental wellbeing. 

The BHF Wellbeing, Safety and Resilience team took on the challenge in January as part of our internal ‘Do One Thing’ campaign which encourages employees to do one special thing to focus on their wellbeing. They chose Lithuania as their end point because Andrius Cibulskis, Organisational Resilience Manager from the team, was born there.  

Together they have walked, jogged and cycled the distance from BHF HQ in Greater London House, Camden, London to the Lithuanian Heart Association in Vilnius, Lithuania. 

Walking with the Lithuanian Heart Association

To mark the momentous last mile of their challenge they were joined by staff and supporters from the Lithuanian Heart Association, including the organisation’s president, Professor Sigita Glaveckaitė, who completed the final mile virtually from Vilnius in a heart shaped walk in the Vilnius Vingis park. 

Andrius Cibulskis, our Organisational Resilience Manager, said: “I’m proud of our team and what we’ve achieved. Through this challenge we have supported each other to improve our wellbeing and fitness and have bonded more as a team. 

“Being joined by the Lithuanian Heart Association for the final mile was a touching way to mark the end of the challenge and celebrate what we have achieved.   
“The Lithuanian Heart Association contributes to the progress of cardiology science and the development of clinical cardiology in Lithuania, so it felt like a fitting place to cross the virtual finish line of our challenge.” 

Two charities with shared aims 

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, our Chief Executive, joined the team on their last mile which they chose to do in a heart shaped route around Regents Park.

Dr Griffiths, who is also President of the European Heart Network, said: “It is fantastic to see such an ambitious challenge borne out of an internal British Heart Foundation initiative to improve employee wellbeing. 

“Andrius is really proud of his Lithuanian heritage, and it’s very important to me that we celebrate the diversity of our teams across the charity.  It is also heart-warming that this challenge has led to the BHF and the Lithuanian Heart Association joining together to encourage employee wellbeing. It was an honour to cross the finish line with the BHF team and with our counterparts in Lithuania.  

“Although we might be separated by 1220 miles, we are two charities with shared aims to tackle heart and circulatory disease, the world’s biggest killers. Today we walked in solidarity and hope to build on this friendship in the future.” 

Our Wellbeing, Safety and Resilience team now plan to virtually walk the distance from the Lithuanian Heart Association back to BHF HQ in London. There are also plans for further collaboration with the Lithuanian Heart Association. 

Professor Sigita Glaveckaite, President of the Lithuanian Heart Association, said: “We are very pleased that Vilnius has been chosen as the final destination point by BHF team. We are proud that LHA is a partner in this 1220-mile challenge. This initiative begins the new era of collaboration between the BHF and LHA, not only in virtual walking activities but also in public and scientific projects. We are ready for it.”

Find out about BHF challenge events