We entered Pitt County and quickly found our way to the emerald city in eastern North Carolina. Greenville and East Carolina University was our host site for our Million Step March mobile wellness tour, and both the day and the people we met were perfect!
There is something special about this community and how it comes together to rally and collaborate around important issues, such as the health and well-being of its residents.
When we knew that Greenville would be on our statewide walk route, the first call we made was to the well-known community spark plug, Alice Keene. When it comes to doing anything about making Pitt County better, Alice is one who is eager to be at the table. She is a person of creativity, commitment and resourcefulness, and as such, Alice became our point person in planning our community impact event for the Million Step March. Alice enlisted the support of other key "can-do" residents and leaders by tapping Nance Mize of ECU and others. Before you could say "Walk this way," this small but mighty group had a great idea for a unique community fitness event.
Their answer to the Million Step March was to engage enough school children, senior centers, worksite wellness programs and community groups to all walk at least a mile on this day and deliver the collective equivalent of a million steps, or about what it takes to walk from the mountains to the coast in North Carolina.
The road to personal health is started by taking your first step and by making a commitment to keep on going. The ability to inspire a community to adopt the culture of a healthy environment requires leadership and collaboration on many levels. We found these key ingredients in Greenville and we salute your efforts and commitment to better health!
Thank you for inspiring us, and best wishes for your continued success in building health into your community!
Through our Share Your Story feature, Angelia from Virginia lets us know she's following the Million Step March and just achieved a milestone of her own:
"I don't live in North Carolina but I am from Rural Hall, North Carolina. I live in Virginia, but I would just like to post one of my stories.
"This past Monday (Memorial Day), I did a 20-mile walk. I started from where I live in Chesapeake and walked to the oceanfront in Virginia Beach. Took me six hours, but what an accomplishment. I feel great. Just wanted to share to let my 'homies' know that you can do it!"
Through Share Your Story, Frances wants to let the Million Step March community know about the dramatic improvements in her lifestyle - and an improved outlook on life:
"I just became active nine months ago. I had gastric bypass surgery. Before the surgery I was 412 pounds, now I am 260 pounds. Before my surgery, if I could take 1,000 steps it was a miracle. Now I average 8,000 per day.
"Being active has made me feel better about my life and my surroundings. There are times when I am walking that tears form in my eyes because you never know how much you appreciate something until it is no longer a part of your life. And walking was so painful for me that the fewer steps I took, the better. I used to look for the closet parking space when it came time to shop, now I intentionally park at the end of the row, just so I can walk.
"People always ask me what I am doing to lose the weight, and when I say walking they look somewhat puzzled. I then begin to explain to them that walking is the best way for me. All it takes is a good pair of walking shoes, and of course, an MP3 player, and you are off to enjoy the outdoors. Here's to getting healthy, and as the old cliche says, 'The taste of this old food is never as good as being healthy feels.'"
Shawn in Asheville is taking the Million Step March seriously. We have an update from him - he's using 10,000 steps daily as a yardstick. Great work Shawn! Here's his story:
"I have recently just gotten into walking/running and counting my steps and I love it! Just last week I met my first goal of 10,000 steps in a day. I was so excited that I have pushed myself too hard, and ended up injuring myself and had to take a few days off my feet. This was very disappointing, because the week before I found myself parking at the far end of the Ingles parking lot to get in a few extra steps on my pedometer.
"Today was my first day back in the gym and I only logged about 3,000 steps, 7,000 less then I would have liked. Tomorrow is a new day, and I will get back to my 10,000 steps!"
