MsFAITH!, 62: Walking the Walk

Meet Evon “MsFAITH!” Bennett. She’s one of the 2022 Senior Planet Sponsored Athletes, and she’ll be sharing updates on her health & wellness journey through the rest of this year. Today, MsFAITH! is taking us through her fitness story that began after losing several family members to the effects of heart disease. At age 62, MsFAITH! is striving to break the cycle and live a long and healthy life, all while having fun.

MsFAITH! is the acronym for: Mission-Specific, Fully Achieving Independence Through Health/Healing (and Helping.) My MsFAITH! journey came about after losing my mother to heart disease. My mother lost her battle with heart disease at the age of 63, after having a heart attack and later a stroke. Her mother lost that same battle at the age of 40, after also suffering from a heart attack and stroke.

The next month after losing my mother, my doctor explained that I was at risk of the same thing if I didn’t start to eat healthier, exercise, and lose at least 40 pounds. Being divorced with five children, it became clear that my mission [was] specific, and I had to fully achieve independence through health/healing if I wanted to break the cycle and be there for my family.

After trying a few different things without any real success, I realized it would have to be fun for me to be consistent and experience lasting results. I liked walking, and it had always been the foundation of my fitness regimen since I was in high school. So, I hit the pavement and started walking again.

“Now, I make it a point to always stay in movement — FUN movement.”

The running club where I worked let me join them even though I was a walker, and they encouraged me to walk my first half marathon. It was so much FUN that I was hooked! The next year for my 50th birthday, I decided I wanted to walk a full (26.2 miles) marathon. For my 60th birthday I went to Athens, Greece to walk in the original marathon in celebration of my 10-year marathon anniversary!

Now, I make it a point to always stay in movement — FUN movement. To do that, I started leading FUN bootcamps, which are strength training classes to encourage other seniors to get active. I also roller skate, hula hoop and dance on a regular basis to stay active and have FUN!

If you want to have some FUN with fitness, please join me for my Senior Planet Sponsored Athlete presentation, “Intro to Hula Hooping for Health” on Wednesday, March 9. Find the details here!

In need of a little motivation to get moving? Join our daily health and wellness programs, stay tuned to the latest news and articles from SeniorPlanet.org by signing up for The Orbit weekly newsletter, and follow us on social media (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram) to get to know these awe-inspiring athletes. You might just find a new love for fitness along the way!