In her own words, Sil once described herself as an overweight couch potato that quickly approaching midlife back in 1995. She could barely walk 2 km along the beach in her native homeland of South Africa let alone do much else.
Then starting that year, she embarked on a series of steps that would change her life.
In 1998, she trained and participated in the Capital to Coast 80 km Ultra marathon. In 1999, she walked 32km in the Cape Town Big Walk. Interestingly all the time she claimed after each event that this was the last time she would walk such a distance. Nevertheless, she plowed ahead.
Then in 2001, she moved into the big leagues when she organized a 350 km walk for 10 people along the Wainwright's Coast-to-Coast in England.
Her resume of walks continued to grow. During the next 10 years, Sylvia completed a series of long distance hikes that included;
The Camino Francis in Spain 2002 (750 km)
The Via Turonensis from Paris to Spain in 2004 (1000 km).
Later that year, she walked the Camino Francis route from Sarria to Santiago and earned her second Compostela.
The Via Francigena from Lausanne Switzerland to Rome Italy in 2006. Along with four women from South Africa, they covered 750 km in approximately 4 weeks skipping the 200 km section that runs through the Po River, from Ivrea to Parma and another section from Pontremoli to Lucca.
The Camino Francis route in Spain once again in 2007.
The Camino Aragones from Lourdes in the south of France, crossing the Pyrenees at the Somport Pass and then continuing onto to Pamplona Spain in 2009.
Later she has also completed the Camino Ingles to Santiago and from Santiago to Finisterre.
Like her monikers, she has a half dozen blogs but her most common blogs are the following:
Amawalker http://amawalker.blogspot.com
VF Pilgrims http://www.vfpilgrims.blogspot.com/
2009 Pilgrims http://2009pilgrims.blogspot.com/
Today, Sylvia Nilsen, sometimes known as Sillydoll, or AmaWalker, or just simply Sil, is a Camino junkie. Sylvia describes herself as a peripatetic traveler and self-confessed pilgrimage addict who is passionate about the Camino and about encouraging others to walk The Way!
The addict is going back again in 2 weeks time to lead a group of 15 on sections of the Camino Frances for three weeks. This time I'll be a 'tour-o-grino' staying in small hotels and inns and leaving the albergues to the solo pilgrims. I am really looking forward to walking with a group of like-minded people!
www.amawalkerscamino.weebly.com
Posted by: Syl Nilsen | May 12, 2011 at 06:22