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Walking for wellness
A community activist is using walking to help deal with the stress brought on by the pandemic.
ATLANTA - The Derrick Boazman Walking for Wellness and Social Club meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday here in southwest Atlanta.
They usually start with a warmup, but Wednesday morning, the popular community activist added something new--a candid confession about his struggles with isolation and the depression that followed in this COVID-19 pandemic.
"I would begin to be depressed just sitting there every day, so, you begin to sit there and say ‘Man, is this all there really is to this,’" the former Atlanta city councilman told FOX 5's Portia Bruner. "I was not at the depressive state where I would do any harm but I was at the point where I needed interaction," Boazman added.
Five weeks ago, Boazman tapped one of his mentees to be the hype man on a bike with music and a cooler full of ice water, then asked his Facebook followers and WAOK listeners to meet him at 8 a.m. in the parking lot of Lakewood Amphitheater off Pryor Road. The first few days, Boazman could barely make it around the full parking lot. In the weeks that followed, he completed seven miles on each trip.
"Physically, I feel excellent because what this has allowed me to do is challenge myself. It gets me physically moving so I can get this blood circulating back again in these legs and it gets me mentally stimulated because the fire trucks pass by, the music is going, people walking and we get a chance to see each other," Boazman said with a big smile.
Boazman, 54, said he reached out to mental health care experts who suggested he find a way to engage friends and listeners in a socially distant and safe way. Opening up to those who only see him as a community activist and outspoken radio talk show host was part of his effort to help others struggling with depression in the pandemic.
"Whether it's social justice issues, protesting, I do a lot of stuff. But here's the thing. There's a spiritual component to this. Sometimes the Lord wants you to stop and slow down and take inventory," said Boazman.
In slowing down, the Atlanta native is adding laps, losing weight and gaining a sense of peace that inspires others.
"I was just cleared by the doctors after getting pacemaker when he started this. Now, I do five or six laps. I don't feel any pain, so, I guess I'm doing OK," said walker William Palmer.
Twenty to forty walkers join Boazman every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8 a.m. and walk for one hour. Boazman said three laps around the parking lot equals a mile. His goal is to use the walking club to train for the Peachtree Road Race next year.
"For me to have gained a lot of weight and wanted to lose and get back in shape, when he decided he wanted to do this to make the community better, I said I'm in," said Detra Parker, whose known and supported Boazman for decades.
The Atlanta native said he's grateful for the support and the opportunity to get peace of mind in a safe and socially distant way.
"I'm glad we did. There is a difference between social distancing and isolation. I understand now we need that human exchange because if you don't get that, you're missing something," Boazman told Bruner.