Stepping Into History: Our Silk Road Challenge

In May, we embarked on another ambitious journey as part of our annual Spark Steps Challenge, this time tracing the legendary Silk Road. Our goal? To collectively walk 4,000 miles, following the ancient trade route from Chang’an, China, all the way to Istanbul.

The Silk Road was more than just a pathway for goods, it was a vital route of cultural, technological and scientific exchange between East and West. At Spark, we took inspiration from this legacy, aiming to mirror that spirit of cross-border collaboration and innovation in our own way throughout our work.

This year's challenge was one of our most competitive yet, with the team members lacing up their shoes and stepping up in a big way. Together, we didn’t just meet our goal, we smashed it. By the end of the challenge, we’d walked an incredible 9.1 million steps, covering 4,573 miles in total.

Sophie set the early pace, taking full advantage of the sunny days and spending time outdoors soaking up the sun. But the race was not over yet…

Andy (5th place), Cathy (4th), and Ana (3rd) were relentless, logging impressive step counts daily. While some of us had started taking walks at lunchtime, Ana went even further, building exercise into the working day with a few walking meetings, showing her full commitment to the cause! In the final stretch, it came down to a head-to-head between me and Dom. I even ditched the Tube and walked to the office, enjoying the slower, more mindful start to my mornings. But despite my best efforts, I couldn’t hang onto my crown from last year.

Dom surged ahead with a record-breaking 622,705 steps, the highest individual total since we launched the challenge in 2021. He put the win down to having the opportunity to get out there and walk – visiting parks and museums around our offices, and seeing plenty of the countryside near home. A huge congratulations to him for the incredible effort! Dom has chosen to donate the £750 to the Royal London Hospital and the Samaritans.

From friendly competition to shared motivation, this year’s challenge gave us a great reason to get outside and take a breather. I’m looking forward to keeping the lunchtime walks going – maybe after a well-earned rest.