Home office supports team member in Boston Marathon
OMNI’s encouragement helps Krystal LeBreton reach personal best
Monday April 28, 2008 -- Deron Hamel
When OMNI Health Care’s corporate dietician Krystal LeBreton ran in the 112th Boston Marathon on April 21 she was bolstered by a wave of support from her co-workers at the company’s Peterborough head office.

In the time leading up to the marathon — one of the world’s largest — LeBreton says she was met with a lot of words of encouragement and support from staff at home office.

The fact the company took so much interest in her endeavour and granted her the time she needed to run the marathon illustrates OMNI’s dedication to team members, she adds.

“It shows that they care about employee wellness and making sure that employees are able to pursue things that aren’t necessarily work-related but are important for health and physical well-being,” says LeBreton. “(OMNI staff members) were great. They were really wonderful throughout all the training. They were pretty excited about it.”

LeBreton finished the marathon with a time of three hours 17 minutes 48 seconds — her personal best in a 26-mile competition. She ended the marathon 3,812th out of 22,375 runners overall, and in 348th place out of 9,112 female athletes.

“I was happy with that because it’s supposedly the hardest course in North America,” says LeBreton of her results. “To do your (personal best) there is pretty hard, apparently.”

Throughout her run, LeBreton’s co-workers were continuously checking the marathon’s website for updates on her progress, says Pat McCarthy, OMNI’s president and CEO.

McCarthy adds that supporting co-workers in their out-of-office activities is an important function of a productive work environment. Supporting members of the OMNI family is also cornerstone of the company’s culture.

“I think it’s a healthy thing for people to set goals and to achieve something as important as this,” says McCarthy. “It means a lot to the individual and it can only bring good things to work as well.”

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