Indian Lake Elementary School music educator Pamela Mendenhall has come a long way in the past few years through an inspiring fitness challenge.
She recently represented Indian Lake Schools in a two-week Step It Up Wellness Challenge for Ohio schools sponsored by the Ohio High School Athletic Association and the Health Action Council. Representatives from schools across the state competed to see who could go the farthest.
With a daily average of 23,593 steps and a total of 330,314 steps overall, Mendenhall placed 4th in the Southwest District!
“It was fun,” the music educator said. “The kids were really cheering me on and they’d remind me to keep walking all during class!”
On her best day, Mendenhall walked 35,000 steps — a personal record.
Mendenhall began walking as a hobby several years ago. Since 2016, she has “walked the year,” meaning she is on pace to walk 2,020 miles in 2020. Walking has helped her lose weight and improve her overall health, she said.