Bryan and April Sanders started their Sunday morning with a special challenge: to walk 25 miles in support of veterans and despite Bryan’s Parkinson’s disease.
They started in Colony, a little after 4 a.m., when it was still dark, damp and cool, heading north on the Prairie Spirit Trail for a mile and a half. Then, they turned around and headed south to Iola.
Along the way, they brushed past numerous spider webs.
“Everywhere you walk, this trail looks like it’s going uphill,” Bryan noted with a laugh.
“Those shadows make your mind work,” April added. “The trail is great. People need to get out here.”
They measured the route beforehand: exactly 12.5 miles each way.
They reached Iola around 8 a.m., taking a break at Riverside Park. Their journey ended around 1 p.m., after about 9 hours.
“We are super sore, but well,” April reported at the end.
It was quite an achievement, especially for Bryan, an Air Force veteran who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018.
To understand the depth of the accomplishment, though, you have to go back in time.
BRYAN served 28 years in the Air Force, where he worked as a security officer, “so road marching is nothing new.”
During his service, he was deployed to numerous countries including Africa, Panama, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq twice, Germany, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen.
He retired in 2010 and moved to Le Roy with his wife, April, also a veteran. She served 22 years in the Air Force, including in Operation Enduring Freedom when she met Bryan.
In the military, Bryan was very active. After retirement, he admits he slowed down a bit.
About four years ago, he started to notice tremors in his hands as he held the steering wheel while driving.
In April 2018, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. It tends to get worse over time.
Physical activity and a healthy diet can slow the progression.
Bryan decided it was time to get moving again.
On Aug. 8, he set a goal to walk 60 miles by the end of the month.
April joined him, and they developed a 4-mile route to walk every day. They start at 4:45 a.m., learning to avoid places with dogs and trains. Bryan uses walking sticks to help him with his balance. April started using them, too.
The morning walks provide a nice opportunity for them to talk and spend time together.
Before Sunday’s adventure, they had walked 79.9 miles. By the end of the day, they’d topped 100 miles.
“I’m going to keep walking as long as I’m able, even if I have to go at a snail’s pace,” Bryan said.
“Not doing anything is worse. With this, I’m able to get some of my freedom back. Medication does wonders, but you’ve got to do for yourself.”
BRYAN was so successful in meeting his August goal that he decided to do more.
A friend from Missouri announced he would be participating in the 50 Mile March, a route that started Saturday at the Nebraska state capitol in Lincoln and ended Sunday at the Nebraska Brewing Company in La Vista. The goal is to raise money and awareness for mental health issues and homelessness for veterans.
The walk takes about 22 hours. This year, it raised nearly $130,000 for nonprofit groups that help veterans.
The cause is near to Bryan’s heart.
“I hate to see people go through what they go through in the military, and end up laying under a bridge somewhere. It’s terrible,” he said.
He wanted to help, but knew he wouldn’t be able to travel to Nebraska and complete the walk.
So, he came up with his own walk — half the distance, and in Kansas instead of Nebraska.
And though he did the walk more as a show of solidarity than as a fundraiser, he encourages anyone who is inspired by his story to reach out to area veterans organizations and donate.
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