A local walking group is celebrating 30 years of walking around Forest Lake together.
Group member Elizabeth Waldeck said friendship and support from the Heart Foundation had motivated the group to keep showing up.
“It’s a friendly group, a couple of the ladies who are still there now have been there for nearly 20 years,” Ms Waldeck said.
“There is a lot of social chit chat as you walk, as well as the exercise.”
Many of the group’s members joined years or even decades ago. Ms Waldeck has been part of the fun for ten years.
One of the original group members, who has since retired from the weekly walks, completed more than 5000 walks over 27 years.
“I get up early anyway, and it [walking] gets your body going in the morning, it sets you up for the day, and I enjoy the social aspect as well,” Ms Waldeck said.
New members are welcome to join, Ms Waldeck said. Membership numbers can fluctuate, but recently a core group of several walkers attend the daily morning walks, and other members join occasionally.
“We do get new members as well,” Ms Waldeck said.
“We’ve got seven regular walkers at the moment, and a few people come along occasionally.
“We’ve also had two people who started off with the Heart Foundation a couple of years ago, and I invited them to join us at parkrun, and now they’re running instead of walking.”
The Heart Foundation has supported the group from the time it was formed, 30 years ago, motivating walkers to reach personal walking milestones.
‘When you complete a certain number of walks, you get a certificate, and when you complete more walks, you get a t-shirt.
“That’s something to use and something to aim for.”
Two weeks ago, on 10 June, the group treated themselves to lunch at The Lion in Richmond to celebrate their milestone.
The group walks four mornings a week, Tuesday to Friday, and meets at 6.30am in the Blue Sails car park on Forest Lake Boulevard.
