Goya Dmytryshchak
At age 72, Altona Meadows’ Ian Watson took steps towards becoming healthier.
Three years later, he weighs 35 kilograms less, heads a local walking group with more than 90 members and has been named a Heart Foundation Golden Shoe winner.
He is one of four Australians honoured in the annual awards, which recognise people who have made an exceptional contribution to walking.
Mr Watson had been “severely overweight”, which put him at risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions, before taking up walking around his suburb.
“One hundred and forty kilos was my danger point,” Mr Watson said.
“I was heading for a heart attack, I was heading for a stroke.
“I was looking for help.
“I went to The Alfred hospital and found a Professor John Dixon that specialised in obesity.
“They convinced me to take up walking, doing it every day to help me lose the weight, plus exercises.
“I thought, nah, I’ve never done this in my life, I’ve not going to do it, you feel like giving up.
“But they encouraged me. Clint Miller was my exercise trainer and he encouraged me to keep going and built my courage up.
“Then, I looked into joining a walking group.”
Being a Western Bulldogs fan, Mr Watson contacted the club’s Sons of the West program to see if they had one.
The answer was no, but the club encouraged him to start a Heart Foundation Walking group in his area.
Since its inception in May 2019, the Meadows Walkers’ membership has grown from two to more than 90 and walks five times a week.
Mr Watson also heads the Mighty West Walkers walking group in Newport.
Heart Foundation active living director Trevor Shilton congratulated this year’s winners.
“These award recipients have all demonstrated a wonderful commitment to walking, which will in turn inspire and encourage others to be more physically active,” Professor Shilton said.
“This is important, because being inactive is a risk factor for heart disease, which continues to be the single leading cause of death in Australia.”
“Getting involved in Heart Foundation Walking is a great way to ensure you meet the recommended minimum 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each week, and as our winners can attest, it can also be a source of great fun and friendship.”
To find your closest walking group, visit walking.heartfoundation.org.au
