Latest news with #walkingchallenge
New York Times
40 minutes ago
- Health
- New York Times
I'm 90 years old and still walk competitively. You can get hooked, too
Dr. Alan Poisner is a competitive racewalker who has won multiple gold medals at national and international events and set records in his age group. He is also a professor emeritus at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Looking to get out and walk? Try Peak's 7-day walking challenge here. Whenever someone says I'm an old person, I have a rejoinder: I'm not an old person. I'm an older person. Age is all relative. When I started racewalking at the age of 50, there were a couple of guys in my club who were 70. I thought they were ancient. Now I see 70-year-olds and think they're young. As I said, it's all relative. Advertisement When I was 50, my brother told me that someone had come to town to introduce the sport of racewalking. It was Debbi Lawrence, the American woman's representative at the Olympics for racewalking. She and her husband started a walking club in the Kansas City area. I joined the Heartland Racewalkers Club right away and did it just for fun. That was 40 years ago. I was hooked. Everybody thinks I'm a role model because I'm 90, but when I joined the club, it included a woman who started at 75 and was still competing at 95. She's my role model. She lived to 103. I'd only been walking for a couple of years when I entered a 15K that benefited the children's hospital at Duke. That's around nine miles, a little more distance than I was up to at the time. There must have been 900 people in that race, and I was dead last. I got to see the motorcycle come up behind me. That was a lesson in humility. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke's basketball coach, was also in that race. At least I can say I was in a race with him! But I didn't stop. I kept getting faster and began entering local, state and regional competitions. At 58, I was faster than I was at 50. This year, at the age of 90, I won gold in the 3,000-meter walk at the World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships in Florida (ages 90-94). I'm now doing 28 miles a week in preparation for the National Senior Games in Des Moines, Iowa, in July. I love multiple aspects of walking. It's a form of exercise and can also serve as a social activity. It expanded my friendships. You'll meet men and women of all ages to connect with. One year, I had to go to Seattle and noticed a woman who lived there had been written about in all the racewalking papers. I'd never met her and knew nothing about her other than she was an excellent racewalker. So I wrote to her, out of the blue, and said: 'I'm coming to Seattle. Is there some place I can walk with you?' She agreed and recommended we walk around Green Lake. Advertisement Isn't that great? I've also studied walking and am aware of its scientific benefits. It's good for your heart and brain. However, there are other reasons I continue to like it. Walking outdoors enables you to appreciate the world. I notice animals, plants, trees and all parts of nature. Current studies show that getting away from the hustle and bustle of life can be good for people's brains. My curiosity drives me to explore new neighborhoods. Some people don't understand this and ask me: 'Where are you going to walk today?' Since I'm always looking for new areas to explore, I'll say, 'I'm not sure.' When I go out, I do it on an ad hoc basis. I wait to see what's going on — if there's a car before me, I'll go somewhere else. I've explored almost all the neighborhoods and trails in metropolitan Kansas City. I've been around the block a few times. I have walked in diverse places, such as on the Great Wall of China, around the zoo in Berlin, along Copacabana Beach in Brazil and the Danube in Budapest. All you need is a pair of good shoes. I don't listen to anything when I walk, although many people do. I like to have free-floating thoughts. Other sensations will distract me. In addition to the added safety, I can appreciate my surroundings. A fancy name for it is mindfulness. I don't use that term, but I like to see and experience what's around me. I have only two rules for new walkers starting. The first rule is: Don't hurt yourself. I've seen people go out and overdo it. When you're injured, you lose interest. If you don't have much experience, start with something comfortable and then gradually increase your pace and duration by about 10 percent per week. That's a general rule. If you keep it up for several weeks, soon you'll be doing something twice as much as you used to do. Advertisement Some older people get tired walking around the block once. To deal with that, you can practice going half a block at first, then one block and keep adding blocks (or miles) over time. I did a marathon when I was 66. It just took a long time to train. You can do it. The second rule: You've got to have fun. If you don't hurt yourself and you're having fun, you can do it for the rest of your life. That was also true in my professional life. I was an academic researcher and teacher in medical schools. Because I enjoyed what I was doing, I would often go into my office on Saturdays; I remain engaged in research to this day. I don't get paid, but I love it. Same thing with racewalking. If you're doing something you're passionate about, that's great for you; you can do it for a lifetime. Here's what I want to add: People continue to rediscover truths that have been known for ages. Almost every week, somebody reports on all the benefits of walking. You can go back centuries to see philosophers and creative thinkers who walked. Why were they doing it? They weren't doing it to get into racewalking. However, racewalking has allowed me the additional pleasure of competing with like-minded friends. I'm old enough to have witnessed many changes, but walking remains an eternal truth. Looking to get out and walk? Try Peak's 7-day walking challenge here.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Guernsey man says walking gave him purpose after death of wife
When Roger Baudains' wife of 60 years died in 2024, he said he had contemplated taking his own he said his mental health started to improve after a chance meeting with experienced runner Mark 82-year-old decided to raise money for the hospital that looked after his wife Ann through her illness through walking challenges."The day after the funeral I woke up and thought what should I do and I thought I'll walk," he said. "After meeting Mark and the walking it gave me another purpose. There's still a lot more to live for." He decided to walk non-stop around the coastal roads of Guernsey and put any money raised toward buying a camp bed for relatives staying on Carey Ward, at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, where his wife had been cared raised £5,300 with his first Prevel has also raised money for charity with his own running challenges."I'm glad that I met up with him and helped him to get to where he is today," he said."His determination is incredible and his mindset has completely changed." 'I feel full of life' Mr Baudains said he wanted to offer hope for others experiencing said of walking: "You're never too old to start, and you'll feel a lot better."He smiled as he thought about what his wife would make of his newfound fitness."She'd be amazed at what I can do now," he said."I just feel full of life." If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, information and support is available at BBC Action Line.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Yahoo
Woman completes 200-mile challenge on 100th birthday
A woman says she "had a ball" completing a 200-mile (322km) walking challenge in her hundredth year. Phyll Babb, from Salisbury in Wiltshire, reached the finish line on Sunday, her 100th birthday, raising more than £11,000 for Salisbury Trust for the Homeless (STFH). She had planned to walk 100 miles (161km), but doubled her target in January after realising she was ahead of schedule. Completing the final mile around Salisbury Cathedral, Ms Babb said: "It's hard to believe I've done 200 walks. It's gone like a dream." Ms Babb was born in Bideford, north Devon, and travelled alone by sea to Jamaica in 1949 so that she could teach in a girls' grammar school for three years. After a brief spell in England, she headed to Vancouver in Canada before returning to the UK to look after her disabled mother. She was a keen member of the local yacht club before retiring in 1986, when she started volunteering. "Walking is good for you," she said. "I was brought up to walk, so as children we walked everywhere, and I still like walking." She added: "It's been delightful. I've had a ball actually." More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire Ms Babb was cheered on by members of her family, who said she was an inspiration. Her cousin-in-law, David Evans, said: "To reach the age of 100 and to do it so fit, looking so well, being so articulate, that's the really amazing thing she's done." "She is inspirational, definitely. She's been inspirational my whole life, to be honest," Liz Huntley, Ms Babb's cousin, said. And her great niece, Ruth Simmons, said: "Seeing my great aunt complete her 200th lap around the cathedral has been really special." A local accountant and supporter of the charity had helped Ms Babb log her walks. "He looked at every 20 walks I did, which I recorded on Strava on my mobile phone, and then he confirmed them in a little book," she said. STFH supports single homeless people, the charity's head of fundraising, Gordon Pardy, said they were delighted to receive the cheque from Ms Babb. "We bought a house recently, and so the money that Phyll has raised will go towards furnishing the house," he said. "To do this in her 100th year was so impressive," he added. Ms Babb said people had been "extremely generous" and said "thank you all very, very much". Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. 'Inspiring' woman, 99, to walk 200 miles for charity Woman, 99, midway in 100-mile charity walk Woman, 99, to walk 100 miles for charity Salisbury Trust for the Homeless
BBC News
13-07-2025
- BBC News
Salisbury woman completes 200-mile challenge on 100th birthday
A woman says she "had a ball" completing a 200-mile (322km) walking challenge in her hundredth Babb, from Salisbury in Wiltshire, reached the finish line on Sunday, her 100th birthday, raising more than £11,000 for Salisbury Trust for the Homeless (STFH).She had planned to walk 100 miles (161km), but doubled her target in January after realising she was ahead of the final mile around Salisbury Cathedral, Ms Babb said: "It's hard to believe I've done 200 walks. It's gone like a dream." Ms Babb was born in Bideford, north Devon, and travelled alone by sea to Jamaica in 1949 so that she could teach in a girls' grammar school for three a brief spell in England, she headed to Vancouver in Canada before returning to the UK to look after her disabled was a keen member of the local yacht club before retiring in 1986, when she started volunteering."Walking is good for you," she said. "I was brought up to walk, so as children we walked everywhere, and I still like walking."She added: "It's been delightful. I've had a ball actually." Ms Babb was cheered on by members of her family, who said she was an cousin-in-law, David Evans, said: "To reach the age of 100 and to do it so fit, looking so well, being so articulate, that's the really amazing thing she's done.""She is inspirational, definitely. She's been inspirational my whole life, to be honest," Liz Huntley, Ms Babb's cousin, her great niece, Ruth Simmons, said: "Seeing my great aunt complete her 200th lap around the cathedral has been really special." A local accountant and supporter of the charity had helped Ms Babb log her walks."He looked at every 20 walks I did, which I recorded on Strava on my mobile phone, and then he confirmed them in a little book," she said. STFH supports single homeless people, the charity's head of fundraising, Gordon Pardy, said they were delighted to receive the cheque from Ms Babb."We bought a house recently, and so the money that Phyll has raised will go towards furnishing the house," he said."To do this in her 100th year was so impressive," he Babb said people had been "extremely generous" and said "thank you all very, very much".
BBC News
20-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Parish Walk veterans dub epic 85-mile event 'addictive'
A man who has completed the Isle of Man's Parish Walk 22 times has said it was "definitely a bug now", ahead of this year's event. Andrew Titley first took on the challenge in 2001 and was motivated to keep doing them after experiencing people's annual 85 mile (136km) walking challenge, sees more than a thousand competitors tackle the island's 17 parishes within 24 Titley said after his first finish "people who I've never met were patting me on the back saying congratulations and shaking your hand". 'Fantastic atmosphere' Despite the physical and mental toll the race can take, Mr Titley said the "euphoria of actually managing to complete it" overrides "all the pain". He said: "The community just gets together for the whole event, everybody's involved... it's just a fantastic atmosphere."It's definitely a bug now."The Ronaldsway Met Office has forecast temperatures of up to 21C (70F) on Saturday, which may add to the physical challenge of the event on walkers. 'The cheering, the crowds' Another veteran is race director Ray Cox, who completed it in 1994 and has been organising the event for the past 30 said: "The cheering, the crowds, the ambience, there's a certain spirit that pervades on Parish Walk day that I do believe is unique."It becomes addictive and that's why we have so many people that come back year after year." The walk as we know it today was reincarnated in in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century there were walks through the parishes but "they were informal affairs and frequently challenges between neighbours with wagering involved, organised in public houses late at night", Mr Cox said since then it had become a "national institution" and an "incredible physical feat". It was the "one day of the year that pedestrians can take back the roads" and those that took part were "phenomenal athletes" who also faced a "huge mental challenge", he Gleave has won the women's race for the last two years and said she never expected to be topping the leaderboard. She said: "The first time I did it and I went to Peel I thought 'gosh I don't know how people finish it'.""Fast-forward years later to have my name on the trophy twice, it's really surreal.""It's something I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to achieve."More than 1,100 walkers are due to set off from the National Sports Centre race track in Douglas at 08:00 BST on Saturday. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
