Walk of Wisdom

It is not uncommon for LDS fitness buffs to credit the Word of Wisdom for their physical conditioning. What is uncommon is for someone to walk three thousand miles to demonstrate that conviction. That’s what Byron Young, of Sparks, Nevada, did.

In 1968, at age forty-five, Brother Young walked from California to New York, hoping to set record time for walking that distance and thus bring attention to the value of keeping the Word of Wisdom and honoring the Sabbath.

To break the record without walking on the Sabbath, Brother Young knew that he would have to average at least sixty miles a day. He remembers preparing himself by exercising before and after work for six to eight hours a day, six days a week, for two years. He researched books on nutrition, walking methods, and suitable apparel.

His walk started at the Golden Gate Bridge and was to end on the Manhattan side of the George Washington Bridge. Almost immediately there were problems that frustrated his attempt—numerous wrong turns, fifteen miles of blizzard, fifty miles of heavy rain, shin splints, and painful inflammation of his leg tendons. Despite the precious hours lost, Sundays were set aside for worship, rest, and reading the scriptures.

When he finally reached Manhattan, Byron had walked 3,200 miles in sixty-four days and fourteen hours, beating the previous world record by two days—even though he rested on the eight Sundays of his journey.

“I continue to exercise regularly and observe the Word of Wisdom and the Sabbath day,” says Brother Young, now sixty-eight years old. “And I hope to influence others to enjoy the blessings of doing so, too.”—Dennis B. Larson, Orem, Utah

Even with resting on Sundays, Byron Young broke the record for walking coast to coast. (Photography by Ross Studio.)