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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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