How long would it take to walk to Mexico? Seniors in Drumheller have just answered that question; six weeks.
Seniors across Drumheller were challenged to walk and record how many steps they took over six weeks. The numbers were then tallied and, when converted, took them to Mexico.
The route taken goes from Drumheller to Vancouver and then down through the western United States and into Mexico. In total, they have walked over 6 million steps, or 4,800 kilometres combined.
“They did great. I could not believe how far some of them have walked. Our original goal was to walk, collectively to Vancouver. After the first week, we were already almost in Vancouver, so we kept on walking. We are now past San Diego and into Mexico,” said Rose Poulsen, Seniors Coordinator for the Town of Drumheller.
To help record how many steps they took, seniors were given pedometers, courtesy of Alberta Health Services. Roughly 50 seniors signed up.
In addition to their regular walks, they also met every Monday at the Badlands Community Facility (BCF) to walk together. There, they walked, stretched, and learned about the benefits of walking and staying active.
“It can be a free and really easy way to get some activity in each day. The goal is to aim for 10,000 steps per day. Having a pedometer really makes you aware how little you moved during the day. It’s about getting as many steps in per day,” said Poulsen.
To celebrate their achievement, the walkers will be holding a wrap-up party.
“We’re going to have a bit of a wrap-up get together and let everyone know how we did. We were thinking, because we’ll be in Mexico, to add a bit of flair to our celebrations,” said Poulsen.
The wrap-up takes place on Monday, February 25, at 9 a.m.
Janet Wiebe (left), Bonnie Bellrose, Victoria Leonhardt, Marjorie Russell, and Dan Hird Sr. walk around the track at the Badlands Community Facility as part of a walking program. Seniors were given pedometers and asked to record their steps per day. Those numbers were then collected and converted to kilometres. The seniors have walked 6 million steps and over 4,800 kilometres combined.
