Winnie Clark
Age 56, Avon Representative

Wheeling Walks is pleased to have Winnie Clark as a participant! "If I can walk, absolutely anyone can walk" Winnie told me when I asked her about her walking. Winnie described herself as the ULTIMATE COUCH POTATO!

Winnie started walking 3 years ago to loose weight. She was going to a tanning booth a mile away so she began slowly by walking to and from the booth. Winnie walked through the summer and slowly added to her walk and has built up to 3-4 miles daily. Without dieting Winnie has slowly lost 35-40 pounds! Now even in the winter she walks at the wellness center or follows along with a walking aerobics video in her home.

When questioned about her love of walking, Winnie gave the following answers:

Why do you love walking? Walking is one thing you do completely for yourself.

What is your toughest obstacle to walking? I am not one to walk in bad weather. The weather bothers me but I enjoy it so much I try to walk indoors at the wellness center during the winter or bad weather.

What is your biggest surprise about walking? "That I actually liked it!" I am serious about saying I was the ultimate couch potato. It was nothing to spend time on the couch watching television. Now I have more energy and the motivation to get off the couch and walk. Actually I set a goal for myself to walk the Elby's Distance Race and finish standing and I did it!

What is your best advice for new walkers? Start slowly and build-up. I started with 1 mile then 1½, then 2, 3, and now 4 miles.

What is the coolest benefit of walking? I am by myself when I walk 99% of the time. It gives me a chance to listen to music and to just enjoy my own time.

Reason for Walking: Now that I am walking I have admitted that I have always had the desire to be a runner. Before I didn't have the confidence to even try but because I have conditioned myself with interval training, walk 2 block and then run 2 blocks, I have signed up to run in a 5K race in June. "I never thought I would be able to do it. But now I know that I can and will!"

Winnie is like most couch potatoes - she really wanted to be doing something else. Let Winnie and Wheeling Walks help you to: Take the time to get off the couch and take a walk! Wheeling Walks has walking events weekly - check the schedule - to help you get started. And once you've started, you are well on your way to making Walking a Healthy Habit for Life!