St. Charles woman takes life one step at a time

The real Suzi Myers caught up to the "virtual" Suzi Myers in the same place last weekend -- downstate Mount Vernon.

The 63-year-old St. Charles woman was in Mount Vernon for training related to her job as the agriculture literacy coordinator for the Kane County Farm Bureau. But she'd already "walked" 148 miles online to arrive at Mount Vernon via the "Walk Across Illinois" Web site that promotes healthy lifestyles.

"It was kind of funny that I had to go to the same city I am currently at in cyberspace," she said.

Myers, who retired from teaching fourth grade in the East Aurora School District in 2004 after more than 20 years, was chosen as a Featured Walker last December in the virtual reality "Walk Across Illinois" program. It follows the path now-Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn walked in 2001 to promote better health care for all residents.

Myers was a prolific walker before finding the "Walk Across Illinois" Web site while doing online research for her agriculture classes at the farm bureau.

She convinced herself to join the program five months ago, partly because of her belief that walking, along with other forms of exercise, are vital to good health. Ever since, she's logged her miles each week and watches her virtual self walk across the state from her starting point downstate. So the cyberspace version of Myers won't be in Mount Vernon for long.

"I was trying to lose weight, and it wasn't until I started walking that I was able to do so," said Myers, whose walks near O.C. Allen Elementary in Aurora became a battle cry for her students.

"I would take the kids to the lunchroom, change into my walking shoes and I would be back by the time they were outside for recess after lunch," Myers said. "I was able to walk more and more miles because it was a set routine, and the kids would always remind me that I had to get out for my walk."

Myers has had to move her walks to 7 a.m. now that she works at the farm bureau office on Randall Road and has only a half hour for lunch.

"I hate getting up so early in the morning, but my body actually wants me to, and when you walk a few miles at 7 a.m., then it is done and it doesn't get in the way of anything else," said Myers, who walks about 12 miles a week with friends along the Riverwalk in St. Charles.

"When the weather is bad, we go to Charlestowne Mall," she said. "I don't care for walking inside, but it is walking and you are moving."

Myers is proud of having completed the Avon 3-Day Walk for breast cancer, a 60-mile trek from Kenosha, Wis., to Chicago, in 2002.

"My baby brother died of colon cancer at age 36, and I have had countless other friends succumb to the disease," she said. "So that walk was my way of honoring them."

The publicity of being chosen the Featured Walker through recommendations of family and friends is nice. But Myers is more in tune with just being an example of someone who understands the benefits of remaining active as one ages.

"I believe our generation is much more active than our parents were," she said. "I walk and do water tai chi and water aerobics at Delnor (Health and Wellness Center), and in addition to losing the weight, it helps keep my blood pressure under control and helps control arthritis."

A couple of other key reasons have convinced Myers that walking is the best tonic for a healthy life.

"It's free and it is outside," she said. "And there is always so much going on outside all of the time, and so many things to look at."

Information about Walk Across Illinois is available by visiting the Web site at WalkAcrossIllinois.org.