STOCKBROKER and company director Rod Evans signed up for Walk to Work Day as soon as he saw the TV promotion and quickly told his friends to make sure he didn’t back out.
The Maida Vale resident was a world-record holding marathon cycling champion until chronic fatigue and back surgery laid him low, and made him put his bike aside.
The 52-year-old soon became a self-confessed “couch potato” doing minimal activity, albeit “unintentionally”.
Now firmly on the road to recovery, he hoped walking the 44km to work in the city and home again yesterday would act as a catalyst to reclaim his peak physical fitness.
“I am walking a bit further than many people and am in pretty average shape right now, so will just keep plodding along,” Mr Evans said.
“I think it will take about four hours each way so I am leaving around 4.30am to get to work on time, and then doing the return trip home.”
His enthusiasm led two co-workers to sign up for the national walking event, although for the more reasonable distance of about 12km.
There are “enormous” health benefits to be gained from walking, says Heart Foundation cardiovascular director Trevor Shilton.
Just 30 minutes every day reduced the risk of heart disease and certain cancers and diabetes apart from managing weight, blood pressure and cholestrol levels, he said.