UW Community Summer Wellness
Each summer, The Whole U invites faculty, staff and students across the University of Washington and UW Medicine to participate in the UW Community Summer Wellness . This fun, community-wide experience inspires well-being and connection during the summer months.
Every year, the challenge introduces a new theme that encourages participants to stay active, build healthy habits and celebrate wellness together. Through engaging activities, special events and friendly competitions, Huskies across campuses explore all dimensions of well-being while connecting with one another and with the UW community.
2026 – Summer Wellness
This summer, wellness is all about finding moments of joy. Explore a lineup of seasonal activities, from outdoor fitness classes and local markets to community events and more to help you recharge, connect and make the most of the longer days. There’s no challenge to complete, just plenty of opportunities to participate in ways that work for you.
Summer Yoga in Grieg Garden
Recharge with a free outdoor yoga series to help you slow down, stretch and reset during the workday.
Summer Dance Fitness
Get moving with fun, high-energy dance fitness classes led by Seattle Dance Fitness—no experience necessary.
UW Medicine Summer Markets
Support local makers while shopping handcrafted goods, treats and unique gifts at markets across UW Medicine campuses.
UW Endurance Club
Train for the Seattle Half or Full Marathon with expert coaching, weekly motivation, monthly meetups, exclusive swag and a supportive community of UW runners and walkers.
Additional virtual classes coming soon!
2025 — Passport to Well-Being
In 2025, participants traveled the world of wellness, no passport required. The Passport to Well-Being Challenge encouraged exploration across four “destinations” of wellness: mental health, eating well, physical health and community. Thousands of Huskies completed activities to earn virtual passport stamps and and accumulate miles. Their goal? Reach Husky Gold Mileage status!
Missed the challenge? You can still take the journey at your own pace. Explore the Passport to Well-Being to access the activity guide, digital passport and prompts to recreate the experience anytime.
At the end of the challenge, participants received digital certificates for their achievements!
2024 — UW Summer Olympics
The 2024 UW Summer Olympics invited the UW community to channel their inner athlete and celebrate the spirit of the games. Participants completed daily well-being activities, from mindful stretching and hydration goals to acts of kindness. Participants earned points as part of a friendly competition.
Together, participants logged thousands of minutes of activity while embodying the Olympic values of strength, resilience and teamwork. At the end of the challenge, participants were invited to attend closing ceremonies and pick-up their gold medal!
Earlier Years — Raise the Bar and Beyond
The UW Summer Wellness Challenge is best known for its spirited Raise the Bar series. A friendly, team-based competition that encouraged departments and groups across UW to earn points for healthy activities.
Teams logged workouts, shared recipes, attended events and joined mindfulness practices to collectively Raise the Bar for wellness at work. Each summer, hundreds of teams from all three campuses and UW Medicine participated, celebrating community and consistency through weekly leaderboards and team spotlights.
Over time, the challenge has continued to evolve while keeping the same spirit of camaraderie, motivation and fun. Whether traveling the world, channeling Olympic energy or competing as a team, the heart of the challenge remains the same: to inspire every member of the UW community to move more, connect more and thrive together.
Thank you to BECU for sponsoring The Whole U!