Lakewood Resident to Walk 30 Miles for Milestone Birthday

Rebecca Moak planned to celebrate her 70th birthday in Peru. Unfortunately, the ongoing global pandemic prevented her from taking that trip. So, she decided to commemorate the occasion in a different way. “I was on the Lakewood walking path one day in April and was thinking about my birthday. I found out that the Inca Trail that goes to Machu Picchu is 26 miles, so I decided I’d walk the miles as a substitute for the trip,” Rebecca said. On Sunday, May 30, her birthday, she will take to the walking trail once again and walk the miles that would have taken her to the 15th-century Inca citadel, located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru. She estimates it will take between 10 and 12 hours to complete. “When I was turning 30, I was a runner and planned to run 30 miles for my 30th birthday. I didn’t do it, so I decided that I could walk it at 70!” Rebecca is dedicating her walk to her parents, Tom and Marion Moak. “Because they suffered from dementia, I  decided to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association,” she explained. Donations in support of Rebecca’s birthday walking challenge will go towards Lakewood’s 2021 Walk to End Alzheimer’s team to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Donations may be submitted online at http://act.alz.org/goto/lakewood.