Locals gathered at Annex Park on the morning of May 14 to walk with their doctor.
The provincial wide Walk with your Doc initiative brought together communities throughout British Columbia to engage in physical exercise, taking the necessary steps towards good health.
Organizer Sarann Press said the initiative, which she hopes will be run annually, is entailed to get patients moving.
“I think it’s very important that patients actually see their physicians as real people,” she noted,” adding that Fernie, as an active community, is the ideal place for this type of initiative. “Everybody’s so active and it’s just lovely to continue on and take that healthy initiative out into the outdoors.”
For walker Jeri Mitchell, walking in the outdoors is a daily activity.
“I do this kind of walk everyday in the morning,” Mitchell said, adding that the Walk with your Doc initiative is about, “promoting doctors and our health.”
Mitchell said it’s important that doctor’s also take on the walk in order for them to, “practice what [they] preach.”
Local Elk Valley Hospital family physician and chief of staff Dr. Ron Clark was just one of the many doctors taking part in the walk.
Reiterating Mitchell’s remarks, Clark said, “We preach the gospel of people exercising all the time and this is a chance to step up and walk the talk.”
He continued,” Fernie is a poster child for a town with an active population, but some people still fall though the cracks, and this event is geared to anybody that wants to be active on any level.”
The walk entailed a 3 km trek along the Elk River, with patients and doctors receiving a free pedometer upon entry.
A Kobo Glo E reader was also given to one lucky patient, following a prize draw.