Jim and Lori Gaddis found health—and true love—during thirty-three-year walking streak By Marianne Hamilton As rain was falling on September 14, 1987, Jim Gaddis caught sight of an attractive woman carrying an umbrella. The pair were walking in opposite directions on a popular bike path in their hometown of Rockford, Illinois. Getting increasingly soaked, Jim asked Lori if she might be willing to share her umbrella. One month later, they were engaged; ten weeks later, they married. Thirty-three years later (and with a blended family that now boasts five children, twelve grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren), only Jim’s heart procedure and Lori’s broken ankle have interrupted their 28 www.saintgeorgewellness.com
streak of daily strolls. Best of all, walking has helped both keep their weight—once 234 pounds for Jim, who stands five feet four inches, and 214 pounds for Lori, five feet three inches—well under control. To those who spend any amount of time on the four-mile loop between Bloomington Park and SunRiver in St. George, Utah, the Gaddises are familiar figures. At 11:00 a.m. during the winter months (hours earlier when the weather heats up), the duo sets out from their SunRiver home. Sporting the Fitbits supplied by their healthcare provider, they keep track of steps taken, calories burned, minutes per mile, and other minutiae.
