Introduction:

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical students have become even more fragile and vulnerable due to social isolation, since their routines have been altered. Thus, the Marcel Resende Davi Academic Athletic Association (AAAMRD), fulfilling its social responsibility to promote health, sought to encourage the practice of sports, highlighting the benefit of this habit for students’ physical and mental well-being. This article aims to report the institution’s experience of organising a virtual sports challenge among its teams.

Experience report:

The challenge was designed and executed remotely for 112 athletes from 14 sports teams. In Whatsapp® groups, private to each team, athletes were asked to send media of the physical exercises they performed and count them in a list. It is noteworthy that training was made available on the AAAMRD social networks, in partnership with a trained professional, as a way to provide safe training. At the end of the 11-week challenge, the top three teams were awarded. A feedback form was also applied to verify the effectiveness of the action.

Discussion:

Technology, an important ally in organizing the challenge, allowed health promotion to take place remotely, respecting social distance. By encouraging constant training, the AAAMRD helped maintain part of the undergraduate students’ routine, hampered by the pandemic. Moreover, the collective spirit and interaction between athletes, within their respective groups, corroborated to reduce the distance between them, forming a support network in which they could also share their fears and insecurities.

Conclusion:

The results achieved through the challenge and the positive feedback confirmed the effectiveness of the health promotion proposed by AAAMRD. Furthermore, in accordance with the Brazilian National Guidelines for Undergraduate Medical Education and, despite the adverse moment, the institution remained present in the students’ personal and professional development.

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