Page 93 - HCPVitalityChronicles

Upcoming 500-Mile Pilgrimage for Teammate Jim Geier

Will Honor His Parents

Jim Geier, Manager, Systems Administration, HCP, considers cle his walk of the Camino de Santiago at
himself fortunate that from a young age, he came to like www.jim2016camino.blogspot.com.
being in shape. At over 60 years of age, he currently puts in
about 140 miles per week bicycling, he does yoga three or His first trip to Thailand was prompted in part by his desire to
four times a week (and walks to and from the yoga studio attend a yoga workshop held by two of his friends. Yoga had
two miles from his house), and he helped him years prior in more ways
enjoys walking. than he could have imagined. Eight
years ago, in Palos Verdes, he hit
Come April 18, he will be doing a lot into a tree while riding his bike.
of walking. He plans to walk a 500- There are 44 hours he cannot re-
mile pilgrimage, the Camino de San- member to this day, and it was nine
tiago in Spain (also known as The months after the accident before he
Way of St. James), over the course could walk without pain.
of 34 days. His journey will begin in
Southern France, and, after walking “Yoga gave me the tools to go
many miles each day, after a night through the healing process in a
stay in a hotel, he will continue on very positive way,” Geier said.
his journey. “Yoga poses are designed to pre-
pare your body for meditation. Be-
His parents, both Catholic, named cause of this, after the accident, I
him after St. James and St. Christo- could push the day away, look in-
pher (Christopher is his middle ward, accept myself for what I was
name). Santiago translates to St. that day, pain and all, and even em-
Jim Geier pictured in 1953, with his father.
James in Galician. For more than brace the pain. I was able to go
1,000 years, people have been making this pilgrimage to the through the healing process in an almost meditative and in-
cathedral in Santiago where the remains of St. James are in- trospective way.”
terred. “To honor my parents, both of whom are gone now, I
want to do this,” Geier explained, adding that he chose April Geier, a member of the Vitality wellness program, and a
18 deliberately to begin his pilgrimage because that is his fa- teammate at HCP for 14 years, bicycled 65 miles on Team
ther’s birthday. HCP at last year’s Tour de Cure event to raise money for the
American Diabetes Association. He enjoyed the camaraderie
Walking many miles in a distant country won’t be totally new of the day and remembered feeling very tired that night—
to him. Geier has traveled to Thailand four times, his first trip which made him realize he needs to get sufficient rest during
there being in 2013. On his most recent trip this past winter, the Camino trip, which is why he has pre-booked hotels
after starting with a walk of 10,500 steps, he increased the along the way.
distance to more than 34,000 steps (about 12 miles) every
other day. The blog from his most recent Thailand trip is at So far he has read 14 books about the Camino de Santiago
www.jim2016thailand.blogspot.com. He also plans to chroni- and people who have walked it. “I want to go into this with