Widow Walks 10,000 Miles in Husband's Memory
For 11 years, Martha Michel, 88, did laps around the lake where she and her late husband used to walk.
At age 88, Martha Michel reached a remarkable milestone—and she did it to honor the memory of her late husband, Lester.
On October 24, Martha completed her goal of walking 10,000 miles. It was a project that took her 11 years of daily laps around a lake at the Namaste Alzheimer Center, the Colorado Springs Gazette reports.
Lester spent three years living with Alzheimer's at the center, and he and Martha would often spent time walking around the lake together. In fact, the couple shared one of their last moments together in that setting.
"He was pretty far along with the Alzheimer's," she told the Gazette. "We stopped over on the other side and he said to me, 'I want to hold you.' And I picked up his arms and put them around me."
In 1998, after Lester passed away, Martha continued circling the lake, and began keep track of how much ground she had covered. Even though she has reached her goal of 10,000 miles, she said she plans to keep up her daily routine.
Employees at the Alzheimer's center said they were impressed with Martha's positive attitude and determination to walk 15 laps per day, regardless of the weather.
Sarah Beldo is a journalist in San Francisco
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