Like to do a little walking? Think you’d be up for walking a mile today? Five miles? Ten miles? Mike Bonnar does. In fact, he does that every day. Seriously.
Bonnar, 75, is a Toledo man who walks 100 miles a week— every week. For about five hours a day, he walks 12-17 miles at Wildwood Metropark. Weather as cold as two degrees and as warm as 95 degrees has not stopped him, and he has even gained a nickname by many locals. They call him “The Mayor of Wildwood.”
“I think probably around 2015 I had a stent put in me and thought I better get out and do something rather than stay home,” said Bonnar. “I just passed about 17,500 miles.”
Bonnar’s best year so far was from June 2019 to June 2020, where he walked a total of 4,826 miles during this time.
Bonnar typically has quite the busy morning. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bonnar participates in Wildwood Metropark’s Health Walk. The walk is from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m, however, Bonnar gets there at 8:30 to walk before it starts. He walks from 8:30-11:00 and then walks from 11:00-12:00. After this, he has lunch, and then comes back to the park for another hour to an hour and a half.
When asked what his favorite trail at Wildwood is, Bonnar says he walks them all. His favorite outfit to wear when walking is jeans and a nice shirt, and his favorite walking shoes are Asics. In winter time, he likes to wear Merrell boots. He typically listens to the sound of nature on his walks and walks alone 30 percent of the time.
However, although Bonnar often walks by himself, he always meets people along the way. “I meet a lot of people, new friends, dogs, and bring treats with me to feed them,” said Bonnar.
Bonnar encourages other people to get out and walk. Since walking, Bonnar has lost 23 pounds, three and a half inches off his waist, and says that his cardiologist says his health is in great shape.
“My daughter took me out to lunch and said she hopes she has my joints when she gets older,” said Bonnar. “It is good for your heart, good for everything, and nothing on my body hurts.”
