It’s not as frightening as it seems. You don’t need to run a marathon or cycle half-way around America to qualify. No, the Peniuk Challenge is a new initiative from Walt Peniuk from Premier International in Toronto to encourage people to get out of their comfort zone, do something different, amaze themselves and raise a little money for charity at the same time.
Walt has become well known for the personal challenges he sets for himself to raise money for charity. Most recently you might remember he part-ran, part-cycled all the way from Toronto to Washington, DC - around 900km - to attend the IAM conference (International Association of Movers) last year raising buckets full of money for the IAM Here to Help charity. With the Peniuk Challenge he wants to inspire others to have a go at doing something, perhaps more modest, but equally impressive and perhaps life changing.
Walt said that the important thing is to have a go. “If you do not achieve your goal, that’s not failure,” he said. “Failure is not trying.” And by joining the Peniuk Challenge to do whatever tests you, you are involving others, and Walt, in your quest.
The idea is simple. Think of something you would like to achieve, tell Walt, and give the equivalent of $50 to a charity of your choice. Walt will then help you along the way with words of encouragement and be your mentor if you begin to stray. “The beauty of it is that everyone wins,” he said. “The charities make some money, the participants work towards their goal, and I get the pleasure of helping people do life-changing things. It’s brilliant!” What’s more, anyone taking part will get their names up in lights in the trade press to tell the world what they are doing and get a little free publicity for their companies too.
So, what could you do to join the Peniuk Challenge? Walt says that just about anything qualifies. You might like to give up smoking, join a gym (and attend it), lose some weight (or maybe put some on), climb a mountain, learn a new language, walk the dog every day, or take up an instrument. Walt’s first prodigy is Richard Dolan from Greens Removals in the UK who, while attending the EUROMOVERS conference in Copenhagen, made the commitment to lose 28lbs in weight before the IAM conference in Chicago. Good luck Richard!
If you have always wanted to do something but never got around to it, why don’t you take up the Peniuk Challenge and make your dreams, and maybe someone else’s, come true. To find out more, e-mail Walt Peniuk at wpeniuk@pvlmoving.com. Come on! What are you waiting for?
Photo: Richard Dolan, accepting the first ever Peniuk Challenge