Dame Mary Peters Leads the Way for Walking In Your Community

It has been announced today, that Dame Mary Peters has been appointed as Ambassador for Walking in Your Community. Launched by Outdoor Recreation NI, this new initiative inspires people throughout Northern Ireland to get walking within their local community.

Dame Mary commented, “One of the greatest pleasures I have is walking, I feel alive when I do it so I was delighted when Walking in Your Community approached me about this scheme.”

Dame Mary Peters is Northern Ireland’s Olympic heroine, following her success in the 1972 Munich Games, where she won the gold medal in the pentathlon.  Dame Mary is very passionate about keeping active and making this a part of everyday life. Dame Mary stated “My pentathlon days are long gone, but one of my favourite ways to keep fit and active is walking. My friend and I walk for 4 miles most days on hilly terrain and we do it in an hour. Not only does it keep me fit, but by being outdoors it really gives me a sense of well being and reduces my stress levels.  You could describe walking as the perfect exercise!”

Walking in Your Community provides valuable training and support for walk leader’s ultimately presenting novice walkers with the opportunity to partake in an enjoyable, sociable and outdoor activity. The benefits of walking regularly are indisputable and permit participants to build friendships and create connections within their community. It also boosts various health benefits with research from Age UK indicating that people who are physically active are at a lower risk of Heart Disease and by walking a minimum of 30 minutes per day will maintain a strong heart and reduce blood pressure.  Furthermore, walking regularly also encourages a sense of well being and unites walkers with their surrounding environment.

When speaking about the initiative, Dame Mary stated “Walking in Your Community facilitates and supports everyone from all walks of life to get walking and enjoy all the health and wellbeing benefits this brings. I was delighted to become the ambassador for Walking in Your Community”.

Valuable funding has been provided from Big Lottery Fund, Ulster Garden Villages, Department of Social Development and Sport NI to support the project. Even though this is a new scheme, it has already shown great signs of success with over 60 leaders trained to lead walks within their local communities.

If you are interested in joining others to get walking, more information can be found at www.WalkingInYourCommunity.com or email [email protected].