By Jason Mikula
Vermont native Helene Neville stops in Killington
By Polly Lynn
KILLINGTON — Burlington High School graduate Helene Neville is now a nurse, grandmother, author, health activist and a four-time cancer survivor. At age 50, she decided to become one more thing — Run the perimeter of the Continental United States. Neville is on target to become the first grandmother to complete a run around the perimeter of the Continental United States – on foot, all alone – completing 9,715 miles (37 states, District of Columbia, two countries) over the course of six years.
On Thursday, May 14, at 1 p.m., Neville ran 11 miles from Bridgewater Corners to the Killington Welcome Center and gave a short talk. She is on her final leg (3,700 miles) of the long journey, having started, May 1, in St. Stephen’s, NB Canada, she will run from east to west along the northern portion of the U.S. to complete her run around the perimeter of the US on Sept. 5, 2015 in Ocean Shores, Wash.
She has already run from California to Florida, Vancouver, Canada to Tijuana, Mexico, and Florida to Maine.
Her sense of purpose is immense and her passion contiguous. Despite running 20 to 30 miles each day, she still has the energy and determination to share her story and promote health and wellness along her journey. Helene Neville has shared her story at more than 100 hospitals, schools, cancer centers, military bases and fire departments. She has been featured in print, on radio, and on television across America and she is a sought after speaker on topics of hope, health and inspiration.
Neville runs to inspire others to rethink impossible. She has a website called “One on the Run” where her tagline, “rethink impossible,” pretty much sums up her extraordinary accomplishs.
After Neville spoke to the small group gathered in the Welcome Center, Amy Morrison, , presenting Neville with the ‘Ski to the City,’ an obvious play-on words and a fitting token.
For more information and to track Neville’s progress on her final leg, visit www.oneontherun.com.
