Gary Price in London, Ontario, tied his runners and began walking on April 1, 2001. He has been walking every day since then, rain or sun. But now, after 8,766 consecutive days, the 75 -year -old man has finished his streak to walk in his own terms.
“Twenty -four years ago, I saw a good friend of mine who had suffered a heart attack at the age of 51. He was in the hospital and was in a fairly difficult way, and I thought: ‘Oh, my God, if it can happen to him, he can happen to me,'” said Price.
While his friend survived the heart attack, he stimulated Price to find a way of acting.
“I felt that I should start looking for some kind of exercise to stay healthy, and I think we would all agree that the best form of exercise is the exercise you really do,” he said.
Price said he remembered walking with John Davidson while training for Jesse’s trip in the 1990s and enjoyed it a lot. Then, he tied his shoes and left his house for a 40 -minute walk on Sunday, April 1, 2001, which repeated the next day, and the next, until today.
London tomorrow6:27London Man breaks the 24 -year -old streak
The London Gary Alan Price has come out to walk every day during the last 24 years. Today is breaking that streak. London Morning spoke with Gary Alan Price about finishing the running streak of a decades and what took her first.
Price’s walks have taken him around the world, from the Great Wall of China to the Pyramids of Giza and the base of Mount Rushmore. It has entered all provinces and territory in Canada, 20 US states and 12 countries. He even met a black bear on one of his walks that had the kindness of leaving him alone.
On Sunday, Price joined friends and family in Westmount Mall to celebrate his 24 -year -old milestone.
“It has become part of our lives,” said Diane Price, Gary’s wife. “Everyone knows about the walk. It’s Gary’s walk.”
The decision to finish his walking streak after 24 years arrives, since he feels it is time to release it.
“As you get a bit, you have a little less energy, so I was 51 when I started this, and now I am 75 years old,” said Price. “I decided to transform the daily commitment to walk to a daily choice. I will completely take the streak on Tuesday. And then, after that, on Wednesday and in later days, it will be my choice if I leave and walk or not.”
Price admits that he will probably walk again Thursday and hopes that his passion for staying active inspires others to leave and do the same.
