Kathy Higgins and Gary Marino crossed the finish line in Wilmington last night after an incredible walking journey across the state. After 73 days, 600 miles and more than a million steps each, the Million Step March ended with a celebration in the Port City's Riverfront Park.

Even though the walk is over, the campaign doesn't end. Thousands of North Carolinians have already started to see the benefits of regular physical activity - and we want more people across the state to do the same.

There's more to come in the days and weeks ahead. For now, this AP story in the Wilmington Star-News sums it up nicely.

Posted by Kyle Marshall on June 13, 2008

Hard to believe, but the Million Step March is drawing to a close. The team invites anyone in the Wilmington area to come join them as Kathy and Gary cross the finish line this Thursday, June 12, concluding their 600-mile odyssey across the state.

The event starts at 5:30 p.m. in downtown Wilmington at the Riverfront Park on Water Street, between Market and Princess streets. We’ll have live music, a farmer’s market, activities and demos, giveaways and more. See you there!

Posted by Kyle Marshall on June 11, 2008

Soon, the Million Step March will take its final twists and turns toward its inevitable conclusion in Wilmington, N.C. One day very soon, after I’ve hung up my walking sneakers and road warrior hat for yet another campaign, I’ll lie in the sand during a late afternoon on Wrightsville Beach and reflect on the entire 600-mile, 75-day campaign from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.

And I’m sure while I’m lying there I’ll think about the people I’ve met and the places I’ve seen over the course of this journey, and I’ll ask myself one very important question: Will the inspiration and education of the Million Step March keep people in this area motivated long after Kathy Higgins and I have written our last blog posts and returned to a more structured, normal existence? I sure hope it will. Keeping the fire and staying in the fight – for your health – is an important part of an unfinished struggle.

You meet America when you do walks like this – you honestly do. What’s more is that you end up having a front row seat to the obesity epidemic in our country. You spend a lot of time walking through farm country, past the cattle industries, through the agricultural heartlands. Eventually, and in time, you find yourself walking down Main Street USA, past the staggering amounts of fast food and barbecue places, the restaurant rows and the grocery stores where most of the processed food ends up.

And finally, you end up at the campaign events like the 50 or so that Kathy and I have been to over these past three months. You meet the people, see the faces and look into the eyes of people struggling with obesity every day – and the 51 associated diseases such as diabetes, stroke, sleep apnea and others.

Finally, and not to get too deep here, it touches your soul. So where did our “land of plenty” take such a wrong turn? Well, that can be debated all day long. But in the end it’s up to us as individuals to take control of our health. It’s our responsibility to stay in the fight, to be vigilant about getting and staying healthy in a world of hectic schedules and toxic food environments. And no one knows better than yours truly.

The fight didn’t end for me when I lost 110 pounds with the help of a nutritionist and therapist. It didn’t end for me when I lost 40 more walking from Florida to Boston a few years ago. It wasn’t finished when I completed the Boston Marathon back in 2005. And it won’t be over when I hit the finish line of the Million Step March in Wilmington in just a few days. You take it day by day. You wake up and try to walk a healthy path every day. Some days you succeed and some days you don’t. But here’s the rub: You’ve got to make an honest effort of it every day. You know the future if you just give up.

The good news is, if someone like me can achieve health, then you can do it too. And remember, as I’ve said a million times at every event we’ve done on this march, it’s about the long-term fix versus the short-term fix. It’s about being around for your kids and grandkids. It’s about living long and productive lives – and about living life the way it was meant to be lived.

I know you can do it North Carolina. I have faith in you.

See you in Wilmington this Thursday!

Posted by Gary Marino on June 10, 2008

Jennifer's Share Your Story item shows how starting with just a little physical activity can lead to a healthy, active and enjoyable lifestyle:

"Two years ago I was a size 18 and out of shape. I wanted to get healthy to try for a 5K - something I had always wanted to do, but had never run farther than a mile at one time. I started training, and now I'm a size 8 and have lost 50 pounds.

"I finished my first 10K this spring and hope to run a 10-miler in the fall. Maybe a half-marathon after that. I'm just glad to be healthy. I weigh less than I ever have in my (adult) life! I have a healthy BMI and am comfortable in my swimsuit for the first time. I lift weighs two to three times a week. I play basketball twice a week. I do yoga once a week and run five to six days a week. I also ride my bike, swim and play volleyball whenever I can.

"I'm very active now and love every minute of it. My four daughters have to keep up with me now instead of me trying to keep up with them!"

Shared on June 10, 2008 Share your story