A tough year led to a long period of no exercise, leaving Sue Lovett feeling unfit and overweight. Here’s how she turned things around. 

In her quest for a healthier, stronger body, Sue Lovett has achieved remarkable results with Walk1200km. She’s 10kg lighter and is gearing up for adventures that one year ago she thought were not possible.

The crunch point for Sue came after a “truly dreadful 2025”. 

“Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to propel yourself out of a hole,” she says. The year kicked off with a serious chest infection. “I was sick for two months, and just as I was coming right, old problems with my foot resurfaced. What with a series of crises within my family, running our short-term rental and helping with the grandkids, everything seemed to be falling apart. I ate to console myself and piled on weight. I seemed to hurt all over and made any excuse not to walk. I had successfully completed three years of Walk1200km but was now struggling to walk the 55 stairs to the door.”

While on a walk before Christmas, she paused to rest on a bench overlooking the sea. 

“I had rare time to myself to reflect. What did I want to do with my life? What was holding me back? I gave myself a good talking to. I must focus on improving my eating habits and get mobile again. 

“I wanted to step up more at home too, where my wonderful husband Richard – older yet a lot fitter than me – was doing more than his fair share. We also had things we wanted to do, like overnight tramps and camping holidays, that relied on us both being fit. Basically, I had a major mind-shift.”

That epiphany prompted Sue to create a plan that was structured enough to get the results she was seeking while also allowing for some flexibility. “If I feel over-pressured, I suffer from overwhelm and give up.” Walk1200km would be the key to getting fitter and losing weight. 

“The challenge holds me accountable, if only to myself. Tracking progress gives me a safety net if something comes up, if I’m sore or the weather is lousy. I note ‘unders’ and ‘overs’ on a spreadsheet. I can cash in kilometres if needed and see when I’ve got to play catchup.” 

Sue has firm daily goals. She aims for 6.5km, sometimes split into two walks. She sets her phone to ping at the halfway point, and nowadays adds an extra 100–500m before turning back. It takes 1400 steps to cover a kilometre, and counting in blocks of 140 helps her to maintain momentum. Climbing the many steps around Oban has become a lot easier since she began strength training at the local gym, too.

Walking is Sue’s favoured form of exercise. “I mostly walk solo, and I do need that extra push to get me out some days. Walk1200km is perfect for that.” 

Sue finds regular walking has impacted her life in many positive ways. “It’s good for my mental health to get out into nature. I’m always seeing something new and use iNaturalist – it keeps my brain alive!” 

Sue says the interactions she has when out walking lift her spirits, and has noticed that people are more inclined to chat if she has her daughter’s dog with her. If they’re off a cruise ship and missing their dog, they appreciate a puppy fix!

Sue is inspired by others in the Walk1200km community. “A lot of people have medical stuff going on and I tell myself to stop whingeing and get on with it! If they can, I can!’” 

What would Sue say to encourage someone to join Walk1200km? “If you’re looking for something that will help you walk consistently, get results, and you value the support of a community, what have you got to lose? Walk1200km is something you can do for yourself. What’s more important? Looking after your health or cleaning a dirty window?”