The former British Paralympic Swimmer, who joined hundreds of participants at Finsbury parkrun, said: “Taking part in parkrun this weekend for Vitality’s Let’s Walk Day was such a special experience.
“The sense of togetherness, and to know it was a record-breaking day for parkwalk made it even more inspiring.
“It was amazing to see people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds coming together, supporting each other, and enjoying being active in the moment.
“I left feeling really uplifted and proud to be part of something that helps people take small, powerful steps towards betterwellbeing.”
‘Let’s Walk’ day, a nationwide initiative by parkrun and UK headline partner Vitality, was launched on March 24th to celebrate the simple act of walking, its health and wellbeing benefits and power to build social connections.
Over the last few weeks, Vitality ambassadors have been surprising lucky parkrunners at their local events in the build up to the big day.
English cricketing legends in Joe Root and Heather Knight have also pulled on their trainers to walk at their local parkruns.
The campaign highlights how walking together can have a supercharged effect on both physical and mental wellbeing.
New research commissioned by Vitality found that half of Brits (50%) say they walk further when deep in conversation, while 27% walk for longer when they’re with someone else.
The benefits extend beyond steps, too - 24% say company on a walk lifts their mood, and 21% say it helps ease loneliness.
Despite knowing the benefits, the research also revealed that 35% of people struggle to find someone to walk with, and over a third (36%) don’t know how to meet new people or start a conversation.
Vitality Global CEO, Neville Koopowitz, said: “I am tremendously proud to see the incredible results at this weekend’s relaunch of parkwalk, with parkrun seeing the biggest turnout of walkers to date.
"Walking is a powerful way to improve and bolster your health and wellbeing, and we know that taking just 5,000 steps three times a week can add up to three years to your life expectancy.
"This weekend’s results are an important step in further encouraging and supporting even more people to lead healthier lives by getting outside and getting active. I look forward to seeing even more people take part in the future, whether they’re walking, running, or volunteering."
parkrun is a free, weekly community event that takes place in parks and open spaces every Saturday morning and people can walk, jog, run, volunteer, or simply come along and cheer others on.
You can find your nearest parkrun and register for free at www.parkrun.org.uk.