Published On: June 7, 2015

Today’s post was written by Sam Sanders
Finding the confidence to sign up for a 5K, half marathon, or full marathon is one thing a lot of people are still looking for, but this confidence is just one of the many beautiful characteristics Pamela possesses. Pamela has participated in all kinds of races such as the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes, the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, and many others. This year Pamela has decided to compete in the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon 5K. Pamela’s story would be much different without these opportunities to walk, but now she cannot wait to participate in another race with the help of Easterseals Crossroads. Pamela has been receiving services from Easterseals Crossroads for two years and is an avid participant in the Adult Day Services.
The inspiration for Pamela came from her parents who had both passed away from kidney disease. “I saw them go way down with it so I told myself I would take good care of myself and take long walks and exercise and diet and so on. I was 400 pounds and lost a significant amount by diet and exercise,” she explained. Pamela began training three years ago, first with a friend and then on her own for the last two years. Pamela enjoys walking alone, but doesn’t mind the company when a friend wants to join. Her favorite places to walk with a friend are on the trails at both IUPUI and Butler University. She enjoys the long walks and loves the scenery, especially the fountains at Butler.
A normal day for Pamela begins with a trip to the gym to lift weights, walk on the treadmill, and bike – sometimes at 9:00 a.m. She continues the day at Easterseals Crossroads where Pamela says they “have fun and enjoy life!” Pamela explains that she is able to participate in a variety of activities, “We go out into the garden and plant flowers and tomatoes and herbs. We go out and play basketball and take walks around the block.” Her favorite of these activities is walking with the other clients in the Adult Day program. It sounds like the training never stops for Pamela!
There is nothing holding Pamela back as she looks forward to the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon 5K. She says, “I love walking for Easterseals Crossroads. You see, my sister was scared the last time when I did a race by myself, but now she’s cool with it. Now I can go on and just have fun. She waits for me when the race ends and I hold up my medal!” Pamela loves power walking and plans to do it for this race. She explained, “I’m training now to walk around so I’m not so tired.” Her goal is to walk the entire race without stopping.
Pamela has some words of encouragement for anyone who is a competitor or is thinking about racing, “Don’t give up. Keep going because it took me five years to walk. I was around 400 pounds and I lost a significant amount by diet and exercise.” Pamela brings a smile to everyone’s face at Easterseals Crossroads. She is always a pleasure to be around and makes it a priority to never let anything get in the way of her walking.