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September 19, 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

PUTTING ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER

Guru of Walking to Share Secrets

Editor's note: Photos of Sweetgall are available.

NORTHAMPTON, Mass.-Whether your goal is weight loss, cardiovascular and physical fitness, stress reduction, overall self-improvement or even a healthier outlook, Robert Sweetgall has a single prescription: walk.

Sweetgall, a renowned guru of walking, believes all those goals and more can be achieved by putting one foot in front of the other, particularly through one of his programs, which emphasize a balanced, consistent approach to physical fitness and mental well-being.

Sweetgall will share his insights when he visits Smith College on Thursday, September 27, to talk about "Walking Off Weight and StressA Fresh Look at Physical Activity, Longevity, Heart Disease, Coping Skills and the Art of Taking Up Less Space on Planet Earth."

Sweetgall's presentation, which is free and open to the public, will take place in Wright Hall Auditorium from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

In addition to sharing some of his adventures and stories from the thousands of miles he's logged, Sweetgall will provide strategies for walking off weight, improving cardiovascular endurance, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease and controlling blood pressure.

The talk is part of the Department of Human Resources' Training and Development workshop series, "Strengthening Mind, Body and Spirit at Work," which offers more than 30 educational sessions throughout the fall to help Smith employees improve their well-being. Sweetgall's campus visit is also sponsored by the American Heart Association and Cooley Dickinson Hospital.

Sweetgall, who is sometimes called the "Pied Piper" of walking, began his company, Creative Walking Inc., almost two decades ago to help people achieve their fitness and health goals through walking-based regimens and to spread his message of wellness and longevity via regular exercise.

Sweetgall has put his money where his feet are several times. In 1984­85, he became the first person to walk through all 50 states in the United States in one year when he trekked 11,208 miles at an average pace of 31 miles a day. He's walked seven times across America and in 1983 set the world record for a continuous run when he jogged 17,071 kilometers.

Sweetgall developed his enthusiasm for walking when, as a young engineer for DuPont Co., several of his relatives, including his father, died of heart attacks in middle age. That prompted Sweetgall to take up jogging. Eventually he became a competing marathoner, ultramarathoner and triathlete, and finally quit his job and started his own company.

Since then, he has made numerous appearances on national television shows, including NBC's "Today Show" and "Regis and Kathy Lee Live" and has spoken at public events to more than a million people.

Sweetgall calls walking the perfect exercise. "It's cheap, you can't get hurt unless you step in a hole and you can do it any time," he once said in an article in The Wall Street Journal. "You can't ask for more than that.


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