There’s a group on Facebook that’s been around for a few years. It was started by an Acoustic Neuroma patient who lives in New South Wales, Australia as part of an annual awareness event of the International Brain Tumor Alliance in 2007.
Suu Blundell sent out an invitation through another group of Acoustic Neuroma survivors, inviting others to create our own walk. I was one of the first dozen to sign up in the “Walk Around the World for Acoustic Neuroma Awareness” group. We checked in daily (or weekly) and reported our steps which were diligently logged in by a handful of volunteer administrators. And Suu, the spearhead of the group, acknowledged every step reported.
There were more than 150 participants who collectively and successfully amassed enough steps to make it around the world more than five times.
How many steps does it take to walk around the world once?? There are far better mathematicians in the world than I but I’ll give it a math-nerd shot. Google says the circumference of the Earth at the equator as 24,901.55 miles. As there are 5,280 feet in a mile, this equates to 131,480,184 feet. If a regular person takes a step of approximately 2 feet, then it would take a person 65,740,092 steps. That number will have lots and lots of variables
considering the number 24,901.55 is assuming that the earth is completely flat. Going up and down hills/mountains would change the amount of steps by a lot. The World Walk target of circling the Earth at the Equator equals (24,901 miles or 40,075 kms) = 52,590,912 steps!!!!!
There are days where I get between 2 and 4000 steps. Honestly, that makes me feel bad about my level of participation. I bet I’m not the only one..I see when others say “so and so walked for me” I got pushed in a wheelchair” They don’t understand that EVERY STEP COUNTS…from when/if you get out of bed until you go back to bed. I personally walked over 1000 miles, more than 2 million steps in the past year.
I jokingly once asked Suu how many steps it would take to reach the moon.
Be careful what you wish for….
This group is now open to ALL brain tumor patients and their friends and family.
Thank you Suu and all of the other administrators. I’m looking forward to the beginning of an amazing journey.
Happy New Year!
G’day Marla. I agree that this group is amazing! From 1 step to however many anyone does is a step to honour those who have or had a brain tumour so any steps are good steps.
If any of your readers would like to dedicate their steps please copy and paste this link (if not clickable)
https://m.facebook.com/groups/287356665034136?ref=share
Thankyou for walking with me to the moon ❣️