87-year-old with knee replacements takes more than 3 million steps around Calgary
Jean MacNaughton says she has logged 10,000 steps daily over the past 365 days
Calgarian Jean MacNaughton, 87, has taken things one step at a time during the COVID-19 pandemic — and 365 days later, those steps have really added up.
MacNaughton has walked 10,000 steps every day over the past 365 days, and on Tuesday celebrated the one-year milestone the same day she got her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
"I was happy to get my second dose of the vaccine. It'll make things a lot easier," MacNaughton told The Homestretch after hitting the milestone.
"But I didn't set out to do 10,000 steps for 365. it just seemed to evolve."
At that rate, MacNaughton would have notched more than 3.6 million steps over the past year.
Put another way, given her estimate of six or seven kilometres walked per day, MacNaughton has walked to Vancouver and back — and then some.
"I usually walk a lot. Because it is good exercise, and we need exercise," she said. "When I couldn't travel or do anything this summer, I thought, I'll just explore Calgary parks."
MacNaughton said she had both her knees replaced five years ago, and they've held up very well.
For her age, she thinks she's pretty fit — and has no plans to stop exploring the city any time soon.
"[My family was] very encouraging. It was my son that said, 'Well, why stop at 365, why don't you aim for 500?'" she said.
"I'm just going to keep going and see where it goes."
With files from The Homestretch.