A little over two months ago, the nation was basking in its Covid-free status. My family had not long returned from a holiday to Waihi Beach and we were looking forward to another short break in September to Wellington, where a first-time visit to Zealandia was high on our to-do list. 

That trip never eventuated but after more than eight weeks of lockdown in Auckland, I’ve found my daily walk to be a sanity-saver. 

That said, it still took time to get psychologically ready to begin the Walk1200km challenge. Despite months of planning the challenge, and preparing myself to do it, many Wilderness readers started before me.

I had the usual doubts many others face: am I ready to do this? Knowing that once I started, I had to keep going, come what may. It felt daunting. Our lives can be disrupted by the Covid pandemic at a moment’s notice, and I felt apprehensive about committing to something so long term. 

So I understand the reticence people might have in beginning. I know many might feel they’re not in the right frame of mind or perhaps are concerned life is too busy and unpredictable to commit to walking 1200km.

But one thing the pandemic has shown us is that we shouldn’t put things off. Among other things, we should get vaccinated today, we should tell the people we love how we feel, we should take those long weekend holidays sooner, rather than later. And it’s the same with Walk1200km – start today, because once you do, you’ll soon find how good it feels to walk every day. To clear your head, build your fitness, reduce the tension in your life and generally make yourself feel great. 

Once I started the Walk1200km challenge, I quickly found it addictive. I’m enjoying seeing my distance walked accumulate and am once again getting into the habit of walking every day – something I stopped doing four years ago when my dog died. Now, if I don’t get my daily walk in before breakfast,  I get antsy and feel the need to lace up my shoes. 

Once you start, you won’t want to stop, either. That’s why you should start today. 

Register now for Walk1200km and start your transformational journey!