Woman with Alzheimer's begins 3,000-mile walk to raise awareness
Thirteen years after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, a California woman is more vibrant than ever — and she has just embarked on a walk across America to showcase the power of action in healthy aging.
Judy Benjamin, PhD, now 80 years old, set off on Saturday, April 5, on a 3,000-mile journey across the country.
Over five months, she will walk from San Diego, California, to St. Augustine, Florida.
STROKE, DEMENTIA AND DEPRESSION SHARE THESE 17 PREVENTABLE RISK FACTORS
"People wonder why would I put myself through this," Benjamin said during an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital the evening before her walk began. "I really want to share with others not to be discouraged." (See the video at the top of this piece.)
"Life is here to enjoy, and age is a number, but you don't have to be identified and characterized by that number."
Benjamin was 67 when she first learned of her early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
It wasn’t a surprise, as she comes from a long line of relatives who were affected by that form of dementia. Her mother, one of 13 children, was 63 when she was diagnosed, and nine of her uncles also got it.
"So obviously it was very scary for me," Benjamin said during an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital the evening before her walk began.
NEW BLOOD TEST DIAGNOSES ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND MEASURES HOW FAR IT'S PROGRESSED
After her mother passed away, Benjamin — who had a high-pressure job at the time — started getting symptoms.
"I was working overseas and started to get really worried because I couldn't remember things — even my own phone number or locker combination," she recalled. "I got lost driving, when I'm always really good about direction."
Benjamin also started to struggle to remember her grandchildren’s names, and even had trouble reading a newspaper article.
"I knew that it was going downhill really quickly, and I was extremely depressed and distressed about that," she recalled.
Brain scans showed that Benjamin had a lot of amyloid plaque, as well as some damage to the right and left parietal areas of her brain.
"I started to get really panicked," she said.
A close friend recommended a doctor in California, Dr. Dale Bredesen, who was doing some innovative research on treating Alzheimer's.
"He explained his theory that Alzheimer's is not caused by one thing — it’s a number of different assaults on the brain, which causes it to become inflamed," she said. "And he said it was different for everybody. Some people are more affected by some things than others."
ALCOHOL LINKED TO BRAIN DAMAGE FOR HEAVY DRINKERS, STUDY FINDS
Bredesen worked with Benjamin to help her reduce the inflammation through a number of steps.
"So I wrote down what he recommended, and I flew back home and I started implementing it to the letter — I changed my whole lifestyle," she shared.
Some of those lifestyle changes involved optimizing her sleep, ensuring healthy indoor air, incorporating meditation to reduce stress and starting an exercise routine.
"I also totally changed my diet," Benjamin shared. "I stopped drinking diet soda, stopped eating sugar, and started eating more whole foods and natural foods — like vegetables and fruit."
"It’s super important to follow all of the instructions to do what you need to do, and not be casual about it."
Gradually, she said, things started to change.
ALZHEIMER’S-RELATED DEMENTIA COULD BE PREVENTED BY EXPERIMENTAL DRUG, RESEARCHERS SAY
"It wasn’t overnight; it’s not a magic bullet," she said. "But I realized one day that I could remember my grandchildren's names again."
After seeing firsthand the positive effects of her new lifestyle, Benjamin felt compelled to help others. She ultimately became a national board-certified health and wellness coach, specializing in brain health and neurology.
Benjamin said she has been doing longer walks to prepare for her 3,000-mile walk.
"I think there's really no way to train for a 3,000-mile walk, except walk as much as you can," she said. "I think walking is the most natural thing that a human being can do. I mean, we were born to walk."
"I just have to be careful to keep hydrated."
HIGHER DEMENTIA RISK SEEN IN WOMEN WITH COMMON HEALTH ISSUE
Benjamin will be joined on her cross-country walk by a "great support team" as well as a film crew who will gather footage for an upcoming documentary.
"I do have an RV with a very comfortable bed, shower and cooking facilities," she said. "Whenever possible, if there's a nice hotel or motel, we'll stop, but in the long, remote stretches, we'll be sleeping in the RV."
She is also supported by several wellness sponsors, including Apollo Health and CareScouts, a provider of long-term care and aging solutions.
The goal is to shoot for 20 miles per day, depending on the weather and terrain.
"I will plan on stopping one day a week to rest my body, maybe take a sauna or just kick back," she said.
"It's pretty much me as an individual, but I am encouraging people to come and join me and walk with me."
Today, at 80, Benjamin said she feels younger than she did before her Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
"I'm very energetic and healthy — I have great flexibility and I do have confidence that I will continue to be healthy," she told Fox News Digital.
That said, she added, life is "kind of like a crapshoot."
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
"Anything can happen — I'm very aware of that, but all my numbers are great. My blood work, my bone studies, everything is in such good shape that I'm not really worried. I don't spend much time on the negative."
Benjamin hopes that her walk will serve as motivation for others to embrace healthier, more active lifestyles for better brain function.
"When I received my diagnosis, I had a choice — I could let it define me, or I could take action," she said.
"I want people to see that, no matter your age or circumstances, there are steps you can take to live a healthier, more vibrant life. This walk is about proving that possibility."
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
People can follow Benjamin’s journey at Judywalks.com, @judywalksamerica on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube; and on CareScout’s Facebook or LinkedIn pages.