The 2011 Heartwalk honoree was WGNS' Bart Walker, who is doing great after triple bypass surgery on June 7th. During the radio station's first ever walking remote radio broadcast, he encouraged people to tell their physician quickly anytime you notice anything different with your body. Walker commented, "I was having a tight feeling in my stomach, none of the classic heart symptoms. However, I put off telling my doctor, because I was afraid some tests would keep me from a weekend trip with friends or making a more long distance trip." He said that it was in late May, while attending a week long convention in New Orleans, that the occasional tightness in the stomach started happening daily." His family physician, Dr. Tom Wolohon, and cardiologist Dr. Britt Mioton discovered three arteries with major blockage. One was the "widow maker" that had 95 per cent blockage.
Solid Reason For "WALK"
Heart disease is this country's No.1 killer. But by exercising for as little as 30 minutes each day you can reduce your risk. That's what the Start Walking Movement is all about:
Walk more. Eat better. Live a longer, healthier life. You see, today's HEARTWALK could be the start of a life saving change in your life!
Countless people across the country are jumping on board. Join them in the Start Walking Movement, get walking and start taking a more active role in your health!
First Walking Radio Broadcast of Heart Walk--Anywhere!
Click to hear broadcast:
(L-R photo ID: Cindy Ferguson, Gordon Ferguson and Bart Walker) Middle Tennessee Medical Center's CEO Gordon Ferguson was named the 2011 Heart Walk chair. He notes that his wife Cindy, a speech language pathologist with Murfreesboro City Schools, was the mover and shaker behind the event. Cindy and Gordon were guests on the first-ever walking remote broadcast of a Heart Walk, anywhere!
Bart's Team
Since Bart was a heart disease survivor, a group of friends supported him by participating in the Heart Walk. Since WGNS has the "talk radio format" and the event was a "walk", it was decided to use a play on words. The team was called "Bart's WGNS Walker Talkers".
(L-R photo ID) Linda Stevens, Kathy Graham, Shirley Bowen, Lee Ann Walker, Bart Walker, Scott Walker with his hands on daughter Olivia, and John Bown. Team members who were still jogging when photo was made are Liz Rhea and Beth Smith.
There was a great turnout on this beautiful fall afternoon for the 2011 Rutherford County Heart Walk. Notice Bart's red survivor cap and how it suddenly acquired a special decorative feature. By the way, thanks to modern technology--the box you see hung on his neck is all it takes to do a "studio quality" remote walking broadcast from anywhere. That's a far cry from the 1940's when WGNS remote broadcasts required so much heavy equipment that law enforcement agencies wondered why station vehicles were weighted down at an angle in the rear.