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Meet the Walkers: Andy

We ask walkers who have taken part in the Step Count Challenge why they decided to take part and what walking means to them.

Published:19/11/2020

Andy Mohan from team Active Health Sciences at the University of Dundee describes how the Step Count Challenege has helped her to walk more, connect with her team and loved ones and enjoy the outdoors. 

I’m not an outdoorsy person but I love being outdoors in Autumn. Of all the seasons, Autumn is far my favourite. Before taking part in the Step Count Challenge, I mainly took drives to admire the beautiful browns, reds and golds of falling leaves, but now I have a renewed respect and admiration for this beautiful season.

I signed up to the Challenge because, being an inside person, I love going to the gym, and don’t get outdoors enough. Since taking part in the Challenge, I have learnt to enjoy walking and benefited from it. It allows me to clear my head, which is important given the demands of my job as a Lecturer. The walking activities I’ve done, be they uphill walks surrounded by trees, or lazy strolls next to the beautiful River Tay, have given me inspiration for a novel that I’m writing.

Most importantly, walking has helped me to bond more with my husband. Our normal routine was to sit quietly after work and watch tv for hours, but on our walks, we chat about everything, laugh, make plans and reflect on how lucky we are in general.

Though it’s hard to get out when it’s cold and wet (I suppose it won’t be a challenge if it was easy), I still manage to do so with motivation from my teammates. The Step Count Challenge is great fun, and I hope more people sign up for the next round.