After a two-year hiatus, the Volusia/Flagler Heart walk was held again at the Daytona International Speedway. Originally scheduled for Friday, September 30, 2022, the event got postponed due to Tropical Storm Ian. It was rescheduled for Saturday, December 12. For Heart Walk 2018 and 2019, I walked with colleagues from Hunt Library. I had formed a team again and received a few donations, however none of my colleagues that had walked in the past could attend this year on the new date. Almost at the last minute my friend Olga agreed to walk with me.
We drove into the infield area and parked, then walked to the Fanzone to sign in. The morning was cool but sunny, a perfect day for a walk. We picked up water and snacks, took photos, and listened to the speakers announce the fundraising winners. The attendance was much lower, probably due to the time of year, but there was still a respectable crowd.
We received our instructions and shortly after 9:00 am we entered the track to begin the 2.5 mile walk. Even though I had done it a couple times before, it’s still interesting to be able to walk on the racetrack at the Speedway. Olga seemed to be excited about it.
Olga wanted to walk very fast, and I struggled to keep up. I did manage to convince to slow down a bit, but we walked the entire trioval at a fairly brisk pace—when we weren’t stopping to take photos, of course.
We walked for about 45 minutes as the morning became a bit warmer. Finally, just before 10:00 am we headed down pit road where the team from the American Heart Association cheered us on and took our photo.
The walk now completed, we grabbed some more snacks and water and left the Fanzone. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to drive on any of the track this time, but we drove through the infield and tunnel and left the Speedway, headed for a well-deserved lunch.
Thanks to Olga for being a fun and enthusiastic partner for Heart Walk 2022.