Dubai Fitness Challenge: 12-year-old trades screen time for sports

Ellie McCabe wants to participate in as many sports as she can during the challenge and even later.

Dubai - She hopes to continue her journey of doing regular exercises even after the challenge is over.

Determined to press pause on social media, limit mobile phone use and focus on her health, a Dubai pre-teen has taken on the Fitness Challenge.
Ellie McCabe, a 12-year-old student at the Dunecrest American School, will be participating in as many sports as she can during the challenge to reach her goal of a healthy lifestyle.
She hopes to continue her journey of doing regular exercises even after the challenge is over.
"I've decided to take part in this year's fitness challenge because it is important to put down my electronic devices and to get moving. And also, my school has encouraged us to join and it will count as part of our grade, but I don't mind because it's a lot of fun," McCabe said.
"It helps keep track of how much I exercise each week and reminds me to get outside. I kind of like exercising because it feels good to get your blood pumping and your muscles moving. It is fun to challenge my friends, family, teachers and even principal to see who can get the most exercise each day."
Some of her goals include getting outside every day to ride her bike, play volleyball, get on her roller blades, or just run and play.
Even though McCabe has always been the sporty kind, she feels the challenge will inspire her and many others to make exercise a lifestyle.
"I hope I can get 30 minutes in each day for the next 30 days and continue this challenge for many years to come," she said. "I also hope that by exercising daily, I can remain fit and influence others to get moving. It would be nice to be the first at my school. Currently, I'm in sixth place, but my goal is to rank first on the 30th day of the challenge.
"I've always done a lot of sports such as swimming, softball, basketball, track, tennis and soccer.  It's fun to play sports with my friends and when you're on a team, I think that's why I like the 30x30 challenge. I've also always liked being outside with my friends, riding my bike or just running around. However, I do see other kids of my age who prefer to play video games than to be outside."
It's important for youngsters to "run and play", McCabe insisted, because it will help people take care of their bodies even as they age.
"What I like about the 30x30 challenge is that it incorporates the use of our devices, making it fun and allowing us to interact with our friends and teachers. It is important to start now, so we can have good exercise habits that can help us as we grow older and get busier," she added.

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