These women, just like you, decided to walk a Team Prevention race. After they crossed the finish line, they haven’t stopped walking. Now, they are here to guide you every step of the way as you complete your first (or second or third!) Team Prevention event. Here, you can read their bios, look for their screen names on the Prevention.com discussion forums, and find out what events they’ll be attending. And if you’d like some moral support as you train, these women are happy to hear from you! In January 2005, my 10-month-old daughter Ruth Ann died in my husband’s arms of a rare genetic disorder. Her life and death left me shocked and heartbroken. Caring for her had allowed me little time to take care of my health and after she passed I realized my weight had soared to 198 pounds. It was time to take care of myself. Then I read about Prevention ’s marathon program and a lightbulb went on–this was just the sort of larger-than-life goal I needed to launch myself back into the purpose-driven world. Nearly three and a half years after completing my first marathon, I still love walking. I love it because it is a relatively inexpensive way to stay healthy and fit. I love it because somewhere around the 5th or 6th mile of my long-distance walks, my mind finally calms and I feel fully present. I love it because along the way I meet incredible human beings who truly inspire me! I’ve even learned to racewalk and compete around the country–my goal is to qualify for the 2012 Olympic trials, so keep an eye out! I’ve always struggled to control my weight, especially after my first pregnancy. Dieting helped but never was the complete answer–I still yo-yoed back and forth on the scale. I tried walking several times and would do well until the weather turned cold, then fall off the wagon. But when I read about walking a marathon in Prevention, I knew immediately that this was the kind of long-term goal I needed to help me lose weight. I had a friend who started training with me, but she quickly bowed out and I knew then and there that if I was going to do it I had to do it for myself. That was where the Prevention discussion boards helped. Now I race with two other women I met on the boards, and we make racing a girls’ weekend event! I started walking at age 49 when I realized I was undeniably middle-aged, too fat and too out of shape. I decided to walk a marathon as a way to lose weight and get fit. The experience changed my life! Five years and 40 pounds later I’ve walked 12 marathons, six half marathons, three 24-hour races and a number of shorter-distance races. I also have higher self-esteem and in general feel like I can take on anything I want! Anyone who knows me knows I talk to everyone all the time. I talk to other racers on the course, spectators who are cheering and have even stopped to do everything from dance with the band on the route to shimmy with a group of belly dancers! One of my favorite training tips is to tell everyone you are going to walk a marathon–then you can’t back out! Then brag about your distance walks at work or to friends. They will be amazed and tell you so. So far I have completed two full marathons and 12 halfs! I started walking when I was a toddler and never stopped! I’ve been a walker for most of my life, since this body refuses to learn to run, and I think of myself as the “poster walker” for people who never thought they could set a fitness goal and achieve it. I trained for my first Team Prevention marathon in 2005 and have since completed six half marathons (four with my hubby, Steve) and two 5-Ks. One of the highlights of the 2007 season was the chance to meet my walking Gandhi, John “The Penguin” Bingham, in Arizona. Another was making new friends on the discussion boards and at races. Someday I want to write the great American novel (so be careful, you might find yourself fictionalized in a book!). In the meantime I just continue to put one foot in front of the other and make my way in a respectable time to the finish line. I became a mentor by surprise. I was sitting in the audience at the Philadelphia marathon pre-race dinner with my wife Mary Pat, who’s also a mentor when Team Prevention called me to the stage to name me as the first official male mentor. I’ve got six races under my belt, thanks to Mary Pat. I love the mountains, but she’ll never hike or hunt with me, so this gives us an outdoor activity we can do together. My favorite part is watching the participants accomplish a marathon–it’s a monumental achievement. You’re not “just walking it”–it’s a big deal. If I could, I’d like to encourage more couples to do this together. You get to know somebody a lot when you train with them for hundreds of miles to prepare for a marathon.
