29-year-old Kenyan lecturer Wangari Mutuku has won a fully sponsored 15-day trip across Asia after recording the greatest improvement in overall wellbeing in the Old Mutual Thrive Your Way to Asia challenge.
The challenge attracted 836 participants and ran from August 1 to August 23, 2026, encouraging Kenyans to improve their physical health, sleep patterns, exercise routines and financial habits. Unlike competitions that select winners through random draws, the initiative rewarded participants based on measurable improvements in their overall wellbeing.
Wangari Mutuku’s achievement will see her travel to Thailand, Singapore, Bali and Malaysia, with the prize covering return flights, accommodation, airport transfers, visa facilitation and itinerary coordination.
Her win highlights the growing connection between digital technology, personal wellness and financial literacy, as more Kenyans explore ways to manage their health and finances through integrated digital platforms.
How Wangari Mutuku Won the Old Mutual Thrive Challenge
Wangari emerged as the overall winner after recording the strongest improvement in her Thrive Score during the three-week challenge.
The initiative encouraged participants to adopt healthier daily habits, including increasing their physical activity, reducing the time spent sitting, improving sleep consistency and engaging with financial wellbeing tools available through the Old Mutual Thrive platform.
Participants could use the platform to assess their financial wellbeing, understand their money habits and monitor aspects of their physical wellness. The app also supports smartwatch connectivity, enabling users to track their progress more conveniently.
For Wangari, the experience went beyond competing for an international holiday. It provided an opportunity to become more deliberate about her health and daily routines.
“I joined Thrive because I wanted to keep track of my wellbeing. I liked being able to see my physical activity, nutrition and financial wellbeing in one place, and connecting my smartwatch made tracking my progress easier,” she said.
The challenge also encouraged her to pay closer attention to her diet and incorporate swimming into her exercise routine alongside running.
“The challenge made me more conscious of what I eat and how it affects my physical health. I’ve also started swimming alongside running. I’m excited to explore new places and experience running and exercising in different climates,” Wangari added.
Her experience illustrates how tracking everyday behaviours can help individuals identify areas for improvement and build more consistent routines.
Old Mutual Thrive Uses Rewards to Encourage Healthy Habits
According to Janet Waiyaki, Head of Thrive and Ecosystem at Old Mutual, the initiative demonstrates how technology, behavioural science and meaningful incentives can encourage people to make positive changes in their lives.
“What excites us most is not the destination itself, but what it took to get there. Wangari made consistent, intentional improvements to her daily habits and wellbeing, and her achievement demonstrates what is possible when people commit to positive change,” Waiyaki said.
She added that Old Mutual Thrive aims to help Kenyans take practical steps towards healthier and more financially secure lives while recognising their progress.
The approach combines measurable goals with incentives, giving participants a reason to engage with their wellbeing over an extended period rather than focusing exclusively on short-term results.
For businesses developing digital wellness solutions, such initiatives also demonstrate how gamification, progress tracking and rewards can make routine activities more engaging.
However, the longer-term value of such programmes depends on whether participants maintain their improved habits after a challenge ends. Sustained changes in physical activity, sleep and financial management are more meaningful than temporary increases in engagement.
Old Mutual Thrive Challenge Records 70.7 Million Steps
Beyond Wangari Mutuku’s individual achievement, the challenge generated significant participation in physical activity.
According to the figures released by Old Mutual, participants collectively recorded 70.7 million steps, equivalent to approximately 53,000 kilometres or 1.3 times the Earth’s circumference.
They also logged 4,919 hours of exercise, demonstrating the scale of activity recorded during the three-week campaign.
The results do not, on their own, establish whether the improvements continued after the competition or demonstrate a direct impact on participants’ long-term health. Nevertheless, they show how digital tracking can help participants monitor their behaviour and identify opportunities to improve their routines.
Why Financial Wellbeing Is Part of the Thrive Challenge
One of the distinguishing features of the Old Mutual Thrive challenge is its inclusion of financial wellbeing alongside physical health.
While exercise and sleep are commonly associated with wellness programmes, financial habits can also influence an individual’s sense of security and ability to plan for the future.
Through Old Mutual Thrive, users can access a Financial Wellbeing Assessment and a Money Personality Quiz designed to help them understand their financial habits and approach to managing money.
These tools can encourage users to reflect on their spending patterns, financial priorities and money-management behaviour. Such awareness can provide a starting point for making more informed financial decisions.
For example, someone who understands their spending habits may be better positioned to develop a realistic budget, identify unnecessary expenses and establish a consistent savings routine. However, an assessment or quiz is only a starting point; meaningful financial progress also requires practical decisions and sustained action.
By bringing financial and physical wellness together, Old Mutual Thrive is positioning wellbeing as a broader concept that encompasses both healthy living and financial preparedness.
The approach is particularly relevant in a period when households must balance daily expenses, savings goals, healthcare needs and longer-term financial commitments.
Old Mutual Thrive and Wavu Travels Expand Their Partnership
Wangari Mutuku’s prize marks the third international travel experience awarded through the partnership between Old Mutual Thrive and Wavu Travels in 2026.
The collaboration is built around rewarding positive behaviour by connecting personal achievement with opportunities to explore new destinations.
Winnie Muthoga, Director of Wavu Travels, said travel offers more than an opportunity to visit unfamiliar places.
“Travel creates memories, broadens perspectives and inspires new possibilities. Through our partnership with Old Mutual Thrive, we are connecting the excitement of discovering new destinations with the personal achievement of improving one’s wellbeing. We are delighted to celebrate Wangari’s success and be part of a journey that recognises commitment, discipline and growth,” Muthoga said.
For Wangari, the fully sponsored trip will provide an opportunity to experience four Asian destinations while exploring how different environments can influence her running and exercise routines.
The package covers the major logistical elements of the journey, including flights, accommodation, transfers, visa facilitation and itinerary coordination.
For Old Mutual and Wavu Travels, the partnership also provides a way to link lifestyle experiences with a broader message about personal growth and healthier everyday choices.
Old Mutual Thrive Surpasses 270,000 Registered Users
Old Mutual says its Thrive platform has more than 270,000 registered users, reflecting its growing reach as a digital destination for physical and financial wellbeing tools.
The platform allows users to monitor aspects of their physical wellness, assess their financial wellbeing and participate in challenges designed to encourage healthier behaviour.
Its integration with smartwatches can also make it easier for users to track activity and monitor their progress without relying entirely on manual record-keeping.
The platform’s growth points to the potential for digital tools to make wellness resources more accessible. However, the number of registered users should not be confused with the number of active users or people who have achieved measurable improvements in their wellbeing.
For digital wellness platforms, continued engagement and sustained behavioural changes are important indicators of long-term impact.
The Old Mutual Thrive challenge provides one example of how companies can use technology and incentives to encourage participation while collecting measurable data on activities such as walking, exercise and sleep.
What Wangari Mutuku’s Win Means for Digital Wellbeing in Kenya
Wangari Mutuku’s achievement highlights an emerging opportunity for digital platforms to connect everyday habits with broader personal goals.
Rather than treating wellbeing as a single activity, the Old Mutual Thrive challenge encouraged participants to consider several aspects of their lives, from physical movement and sleep to financial awareness.
This integrated approach recognises that wellbeing is influenced by multiple factors. Building an exercise routine, getting adequate sleep and managing money responsibly can all contribute to a more balanced lifestyle, although individual outcomes vary.
Through the Old Mutual Thrive app, users can assess their financial wellbeing, monitor their physical wellness and participate in challenges designed to encourage healthier everyday behaviours. With more than 270,000 registered users, Old Mutual Thrive continues to expand its reach as a platform that empowers Kenyans to make informed decisions about their health, finances and overall wellbeing.
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