Celebrity endurance swimmer Diana Nyad’s EverWalk has teamed with the LA Parks Foundation for its annual Griffith Park Run this Sunday, February 5 in Griffith Park. Funds raised from the run support our 100 city parks.
EverWalk, a non-profit national walking initiative, was founded by Nyad and Bonnie Stoll six years ago.
“Our goal is to inspire people to believe that walking is the answer for so many aspects of our lives: health in movement, mental health in stirring “happy” endorphins, get to know your neighborhood, your neighbors, your city, empowerment of walking the earth on your own steam…and discovering who you are, who you want to be, what you want to do, by strolling under the magical blue sky,” Nyad, a local resident, told the Buzz.
Two years ago, EverWalk began meeting with Carolyn Ramsay, executive director of the LA Parks Foundation, about how to collaborate to promote their collective work of getting Angelenos outside in green spaces. Nyad was honored by the Parks Foundation in 2021, receiving its annual Rose Award.
“Last year, the Foundation and Mayor Garcetti honored me with their annual award for an individual of influence who promotes a healthy outdoor lifestyle in LA,” said Nyad. “With this Feb. 5 EverWalk debut as part of the Aztlan Athletics series of local runs, we are proud to contribute to the good works of the LA Parks Foundation.”
This is the first-ever running event that is offering a walking registration, thanks to EverWalk and Aztlan, the run organizer.
“We are trying to show there’s a great of interest in walking,” explained Nyad. “We are asking everyone to sign up using our special EverWalk promo code – EverWalk5 – when they sign up.” Nyad and her co-founder Bonnie Stoll are hoping this run can inspire more walking registrations at future runs.
Walkers can join Nyad and Stoll who will be doing the 5K Walk. After the walk they will be at their booth, available to answer questions about EverWalk. On September 2, 2013, at the age of sixty-four, Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the aid of a shark cage. Bonnie Stoll was a superstar on the Professional Racquetball Tour through the 1980s, rising to #5 in the country. She lead the team that helped Nyad make her legendary swim. Both Stoll and Nyad are inspirational athletes, always challenging themselves and learning. It’s worth signing up just to meet them!
