Here is a great history of commitment and dedication to personal health and physical activity. Thanks, Crystal, for sharing!

"I have always been an out-of-doors kind of girl. When I was little, growing up in Upstate NY, my parents would ensure myself and my three sisters got our daily 'time in the sun.' Whether rain or shine, we were always outside taking walks, riding bicycles, skiing, ice-skating and/or snow-shoeing. 

"In high school I got my first taste of my beloved sport of choice: running. I played soccer and participated in several intramural sports. I ran on and off over the next ten years, always vouching to join a running club, but never taking the time. That is until I moved to Wilmington, NC. I met and befriended several local runners there who were members of the Wilmington Roadrunner's Club....and I was immediately hooked!

"Initially, we trained and ran local 5k and 10ks. Then 'the sickness,' as I call it, grew along with my curiosity about running longer distances...like a marathon. That was it for me! I quit smoking, started eating healthier food and began training five days a week for the next six months to prepare for the Myrtle Beach Marathon.

"I ran my first marathon there marking two milestones in my life: my 31st birthday and the beginning of the rest of my life as a RUNNER!

"Ten years later and I have never looked back since! Nowadays I can't even imagine my life without running playing an integral role...I am still at it today having run/completed over 60 road races of varying distances, including 28 marathons and counting!

"For me, the act of running represents what living is all about: one breath and one footstep at a time. Hope to see you on the road!"

Crystal

Posted by Kathy Higgins on March 27, 2008

When John Roos, chief sales and marketing officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, mentioned the idea of the Million Step March, I practically leaped across the room. I’ve wanted to walk across North Carolina since 1985 when I was the executive director of the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Health. So when John suggested this initiative, for me, it was a dream come true.

John had just learned about Gary Marino – a guy that gave up on doing nothing and decided to get serious about doing something regarding his health and well-being. Gary has completed several significant walks, his first being a trek from Florida to Boston in what he proclaims was a first-time walk dedicated to raising awareness about obesity. More importantly, it was about raising hope and optimism about the possibility of truly undoing the health damage that so many of us have found ourselves in when we don’t make our personal health a priority.

Walking is a near-perfect prescription for most of us to achieve better health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is committed to taking this walking message to all our fellow citizens. We feel the best way for us to demonstrate our commitment is to “walk the talk,” and our Million Step March launch on April 1 in Asheville will get us started. After that, it will be 60+ days, 600 miles and more than a million steps to carry us to the finish line in Wilmington.

How many of you have changed your life simply by incorporating walking into your everyday or weekly routine? I’d love to hear your stories of success and of overcoming obstacles – we’ll be sure to share ours over the next 60 days.

Posted by Kathy Higgins on March 17, 2008

Greetings to the people of the southern “barbecue belt.” I’m thrilled to be back here walking 600 miles on the Million Step March.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has put together an unprecedented walking and fitness campaign, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it. Four years ago, in 2004, I walked through this state as part of The Million Calorie March – a 1,200-mile grassroots walking campaign from Florida to Boston.

I lost 110 pounds before that walk (from 397 pounds to 288) by eating right and getting physical activity, and then another 40 pounds on the cross-country walk itself. Since then I’ve been taking my message all around the country – that anyone can achieve a measurable degree of health if they make the commitment. I’m still struggling to lose more weight, but I think I’ve achieved the better health part.

Has anybody out there ever run a marathon? A couple of years ago I ran the Boston Marathon. Now don’t get me wrong – the winner was shaved, showered, had his check cashed and on the plane back to Kenya before I hit the finish line – but I finished, and that’s the message I am bringing to the people of North Carolina. I want you to think about achieving good health – not just looking good. It’s about being around for your kids and grandkids.

I come here to North Carolina not as a pitchman for weight loss, but for commitment. If Kathy Higgins from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina can make a commitment to walk 600 miles – from the mountains of Asheville to the shores of Wilmington – can you make the commitment to build 30 to 60 minutes of walking into your life on most days?

I look forward to spending time in places like Asheville, Hickory, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, Fayetteville, Wilmington and many places in between. In this corner of the world, and in this great state, maybe we can make a difference and inspire, educate and motivate people to dig deep to improve their health – once and for all.

See you on the road when we come through your town! Keep checking at this site, www.BetterHealthNC.com, for details and to see how we’re doing.

Posted by Gary Marino on March 16, 2008

Welcome to the online home of the Million Step March. On April 1, Kathy Higgins, Gary Marino and a team from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina will begin a walk across the state. The march will kick off in Asheville and end in Wilmington, making stops in many communities along the way.

Follow the team and experience the march by reading the team blog here on the Web site. Learn tips for getting active. Share your story about getting fit, and you may be featured on the blog.

Check back in the days ahead. Be sure to join the Million Step Challenge and track the team as they take more than a million steps to march across our state!

Posted by BCBSNC on March 12, 2008