Woman takes walk around the world- Her goal is to raise money, awareness about breast cancer.By LARRY WILSONStar-Gazette Corning Bureau lwilson@stargazette.com CORNING -- After four years of walking around the world, Polly Letofsky was clueless about current events in America.
Letofsky's trek, which brought her to Corning this week, is designed to raise awareness of breast cancer and money to fight the disease. She has 28 corporate sponsors in addition to the backing of Lions Clubs around the world. The 41-year-old Letofsky launched her trip -- which has covered more than 10,500 miles and worn out 23 pairs of sneakers -- on Aug. 1, 1999, in Vail, Colo. So far, she has walked the length of New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India and Turkey, as well as going on foot in continental Europe from Greece to Belgium and across the United Kingdom and Ireland. "I walk three or four days in a row and then rest in a town," Letofsky said. "I average about 15-16 miles a day. I'm not trying to kill myself. I'm pacing myself over five years." She got the idea for the trip from reading a newspaper story when she was 12 years old. But her plan didn't crystallize until she found many of her friends, family members and co-workers suffering from breast cancer. "I'm trying to keep it in the forefront of everyone's mind," she said. "There's no prevention for breast cancer. All we've got is early detection." Letofsky said women who find lumps in their breasts need to insist on being tested, even if doctors don't think there is anything wrong. "Eighty percent of lumps are nothing, but if any doctor doesn't check a lump, you should get up and walk out," she said. While she's in the area, Letofsky will participate in Sunday's Twin Tiers Race for the Cure in Elmira, a 5K fund-raiser for local and national breast cancer awareness and education efforts. "I'm just having such a good time rediscovering America," said Letofsky, who arrived in New York City at the time Baghdad was falling to U.S. troops. "It was an absolute joy to see flags and yellow ribbons, candles in windows and swings on porches and kids riding bicycles." Letofsky said she was treated well in most of the world but was constantly harassed in Europe as the war in Iraq broke out. "The last few months in Europe were tough," she said. "I would stay in youth hostels where their idea of a discussion is to stand me up against a wall and have me explain U.S. foreign policy. But I should not judge the European people by 18- (to) 22-year-olds who have half-formed ideas." Letofsky, who has worked in broadcasting, advertising and the travel and hotel industry, isn't sure what she wants to do when her global walk ends in August 2004 in Vail. She plans to write a book about her five-year trip. "I look forward to that next chapter, but I don't know what it will be," she said. "It will have to be something flexible." Letofsky joined the Lions Club in Mackay, Queensland, during her walk across Australia. In Corning, the Lions helped arrange free lodging at the Fairfield Inn in Riverside, said Frank Muccini of the Corning Lions Club. The next leg of Letofsky's trip will take her to Watkins Glen, Rochester and Niagara Falls. She's looking forward to seeing the Finger Lakes. "I've always heard about them, but I haven't seen them yet," she said.
Walking around the world- Name: Polly Letofsky.- Age: 41. - Home: Vail, Colo. - Began walk: Aug. 1, 1999. - Estimated finish: Aug. 1, 2004. - Total distance: 15,000 miles. - Shoes: 23 pairs of New Balance sneakers. - Sponsors: Lions Clubs and 28 corporations. - Average daily walk: 15 to 16 miles. - Unusual events: A 7.2 magnitude earthquake, floods, forest fires and lightning storms. - Web site: www.globalwalk.org
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