“There was a better version of me waiting all along”
Heather Sloan’s weight peaked at almost 19 stone, 10 years on from family tragedy. After last year’s challenge she says “At 60 I’m fitter than I’ve ever been and at peace’’. “My weight had spiralled out of control – food has always been my ‘drug of choice’ and I never realised how much I’d let myself go There were days when I felt I couldn’t go on. Walking seemed to help. But the pain in my joints was sometimes unbearable and the low point came last year when I had to be rescued from a guided walk. I didn’t want to be ‘the fatty at the back’ so I pushed myself too much. I’ve never been as embarrassed in my life as I had to be taken back in that Land Rover – breathless, crumbling.
“But rather than hide away, I started doing two-mile lunchbreak walks and two miles when I got home every day. The weight loss was slow at the start. But I knew I had to lose to enjoy longer walks and reach my 1000 miles. I cut out junk and started to see walking helped my mental wellbeing. I found beautiful places I never knew existed, even on my own doorstep. It was amazing!
“After a year I’m the fittest I’ve ever been and I’ve lost 4.5 stone. So last weekend I decided to repeat the fateful route – and found not only was I fit enough to do it, I was the only one in a group to tackle an even bigger hill en route – for me it was the equivalent conquering Everest.
“I reached my 1000-mile target last year and now I’m 250 into my 2019 target. I’ve started to enjoy my life again and have joined a number of walking groups. I go along alone and have met lots of lovely people.
“After doing the challenge I can see there was a better version of me waiting all along. If I could say something to the old me it would be – ‘Do something for you; a step at a time and don’t try to compete with others. Walking is great for your mental and physical health. It’s free, it can be done in all weathers. You can do it alone or you can link in with others.’ Grief was holding me back in many aspects of my life. But walking has pushed my boundaries, and helped me to be at peace with myself.”