The Regency Park Estate retirement village resident is one of more than 3000 people who have signed up for Rotorua company Event Promotions' Lockdown 100. The event, which started on Wednesday, April 29, requires entrants to walk or run a total of 100km over two weeks. There is also a marathon (42km) option.
Breadmore is accumulating 7.5km a day by walking laps of the retirement village and said she was enjoying the challenge.
"My daughter in Hamilton was going to do it and she just happened to mention it to me. I thought about it for a couple of hours and I thought 'I can do that'.
"I've never entered a walking event in my life but I was walking 6km a day as it is. I split the 7.5km into two sessions each day, walking around the retirement village because we're locked down and it's best to stay in our big bubble."
Laurie Breadmore is attacking her 100km walking challenge with a smile. Photo / Supplied
She said she walked regularly for both the physical and mental benefits associated with being active. Lockdown 100 organisers set up a Facebook group for participants in which Breadmore posted about her journey so far and she was blown away by the positive response.
"I suffer with arthritis and walking keeps that at bay a little bit, it keeps everything working. [To complete the 100km] would be marvellous for me, I've never ever clocked up walking like that before."
Everyone who enters the event will be sent a finisher's medal for their efforts.
"The idea of 100km sounds like a lot but when you break it up it's achievable. It will be my first medal ever for an event, I'll probably wear it around my neck for about six weeks," Breadmore said.
Both our virtual events kicked off last Wednesday and we have already seen so many inspirational, funny, heart warming,...
Event promotions registration manager Jenna Keane said, like many local businesses, they had been hit hard by the Covid-19 lockdown, having to postpone or cancel many events.
While the Lockdown 100 relieved some of the financial pressure on the company, their focus was on engaging with the community and encouraging people to get active. More than 3000 entries have come in from all over New Zealand as well as overseas, including the Netherlands, Hong Kong, USA and Canada.
"We wanted to engage our community again and kind of rally everyone together during a time which is so uncertain for a lot of people," Keane said.
"The response has been overwhelming, we've had a lot of positive comments and everyone seems to be really getting behind it. It's really community-based, people are commenting on each other's posts and encouraging each other. It's been better than we could ever have imagined.
"We've had comments from people saying it's nice to have something to get them up and going outside that they have to complete every day. Keeping motivated is really helping with people's mental health too, which is awesome."
The event wraps up on Tuesday, May 12. Impressively, several participants completed their distance within the first week.
