At the start of 2023, Wendy Godfrey made a New Year’s resolution that would change her life: walk every day, no matter the weather. What began as a challenge to stay consistent has since blossomed into more than 730 days of commitment, proving that when you set a goal and stick to it, nothing is impossible.
After welcoming Lilo the dog into her life, Godfrey started walking more but admitted it wasn’t always easy to stay consistent. Cold weather and other excuses led to some missed days.
“It was really easy on cold days to say, ‘Not today.’ Before long, there were more 'not todays' than 'todays,'” she said.
Virtual challenges couldn’t keep her motivated. That changed on New Year’s Eve 2022 when Godfrey ran into her friend Jennifer Froese, who inspired her with a story of consistency.
“She was on Day 730 of walking every single day. It was the last day of her second year,” said Godfrey. Froese has since surpassed four years of daily walks.
Determined to follow in her friend’s footsteps, Godfrey committed to walking every day in 2023.
“My first day was New Year’s Day, and it was cold and wintry. It was tough to put on boots and get outside,” she said. “But I forced myself, thinking of Jen, and before long, it became a habit.”
Now, more than two years later, Godfrey has no plans to stop.
“It’s over 735 days now. If I stop today, I’d have to start back at Day 1 tomorrow. I never want to start back at one,” she quipped.
In the past two years, Godfrey has walked at least three kilometres each day. For 2024, she has increased her goal to four kilometres daily and added running to her routine. Despite being 61 and having never run before, she started incorporating short runs last September. Initially, she struggled to run even a tenth of a kilometre, but by mid-November, she built the endurance to run 5 km without stopping.
With the Coal Country Run 5K in May as her next big goal, Godfrey is currently focusing on walking through the winter, while taking a break from running due to icy and snowy conditions.
Godfrey’s advice for achieving goals is to share them with others.
“I told people I’d walk every day in 2023, and they’d ask how it was going or how many days I’d walked. The higher the number, the more exciting it was,” she said.
She also noted the importance of dressing for all weather conditions, something she’s adapted to with practice.
“We’ve walked in rain, snow, blizzards, and beautiful sunshine. I’ve got the right clothing for it now, and I just love getting out no matter what,” she said.
Godfrey often incorporates walking into daily errands with Lilo and uses Estevan’s pathway system frequently.
“I love the pathways in Lynd Park, Royal Heights Park, and behind the Comp. Those are my favourites,” she said.
Her key to success is mindset.
“Set your mind to ‘I’m going to do this every day.’ Don’t focus on excuses, but on the feeling of accomplishment,” said Godfrey.
She added that having a support system helps: “Your friends will encourage you, even if you miss a day, to get back to it the next day. That encouragement can really push you to keep going.”