Call it perseverance or determination. The efforts of Delores Lyon, 52, a Special Education Teacher at Helen J. Stewart School, during the 2005 WellFit program shall not go unnoticed. Lyon completed the WellFit program, walking 5 miles per day, seven days per week, with a broken foot.

“I didn’t want to let my team down,” said Lyon. “Plus, I have walked for so many years and it is difficult to go a day not exercising.”

Lyon was also one of the award winners in the Special Schools Intermediate Category of the Heath Trust’s 10–week cardiovascular program. She walked over 280 miles, four days out of a seven–day–week, six weeks out of ten weeks.

“I had to do it,” said Lyon. “I was afraid to stop because I feared not starting again.”

Lyon has been employed by the Clark County School District for eight years. Her students can be challenging at times, so she uses exercise as a stress relief.

“Walking helps a lot with my job,” said Lyon. “I do it at 3 a.m. in the morning; it wakes me up and clears my head for the day ahead.”

Lyon’s recipe for being a Healthy Educator Running Our Schools is: “Start walking because it is free,” said Lyon. “It is a way to relieve stress, enjoy nature, solve problems, and start your day.”

Darryl Thomas

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