ACT Cub Scouts have walked a distance more than the circumference of Mars inspired by the landing of the Perseverance Mars Rover in February.

The Cub Scouts (aged 8-11) were challenged to collectively walk 21,344 kilometres, a distance equivalent to the circumference of Mars.

Cub Scouts, their leaders and families went above and beyond, walking a total collective distance of 27,565 kilometres so far.

“This is an amazing achievement from Cub Scouts in Canberra, who have ‘persevered’ through another year disrupted by covid lockdowns,” said ACT Cub Scout commissioner Tim Kirsopp. 

“Young people in Scouting, working together to meet the challenge, planned and undertook 344 separate activities, walking or cycling across all of the ACT’s nature parks, as well as Namadgi National Park.

“It looked like we weren’t going to complete the challenge when lockdown hit again in August, but as soon as lockdown lifted, Cub Scouts have pushed themselves to complete the distance. I am extremely proud of what they’ve achieved.”

The Perseverance Mars Rover was named by Cub Scout Alexander Mather in the US and follows the motto of Cub Scouts across the world – “Do Your Best”. 

In his winning essay, Alexander wrote: “We are a species of explorers, and we will meet many setbacks on the way to Mars. However, we can persevere. We, not as a nation but as humans, will not give up.”