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Sisters keep walking from Shaker Heights to Chagrin Falls
(by Jenna Berris - August 11, 2010)
Sisters keep walking from Shaker Heights to Chagrin Falls
By JENNA BERRIS
Two women have redefined the idea of exercise with their extreme walking.
Sisters Barbara Federman, 63, and Sharon Hamilton, 60, make the 13-mile walk from the Warrensville Center Road area of Shaker Heights to downtown Chagrin Falls two Mondays each month to eat and shop. That's almost 10 miles each way.
"We eat at Gamekeeper's outside cause it's so beautiful, then we go to Polly Brown and the other independent shops where they have a lot of unique things," Mrs. Hamilton said.
The two have made this hike for 10 years, but have been long-distance walking for some time before that.
"We used to walk to Shaker Square, which is three miles each way," Mrs. Hamilton said. "Then we would walk to and back from Coventry, which is five miles each way."
When one of their friends landed in University Hospitals, Mrs. Federman and Mrs. Hamilton decided they would walk to visit her, a 10-mile trek.
Then one day Mrs. Hamilton suggested they walk to Chagrin Falls.
"I thought she was crazy, but I thought, 'OK.' Remember, she is a good talker and I am a good listener," Mrs. Federman said.
The two attribute their walking and dedication to physical fitness to their childhood environment. Their father was an advocate for physical activity and walked five miles each day after he retired.
In addition to walking, the two women enjoy yoga and cycling.
On a typical walking day, Mrs. Hamilton, of Cleveland, arrives at Mrs. Federman's home in Shaker Heights around 8:30 or 9 a.m. The two then begin their 2-hour, 45-minute walk to Chagrin Falls. They walk along main roads like Chagrin Boulevard and stop along the way to use the restroom or grab a snack. The two carry packs, which they sling over their backs. The packs hold water, small snacks and a change of shoes for when they arrive at their destination.
"People will stop and ask us if we need a ride or need help," Mrs. Hamilton said, "Or we will see people in town (Chagrin Falls) who will say, 'We saw you walking.'"
Of course, walking on the side of such traffic-filled, main roads has risks.
"Sharon will sometimes hold a stick out with a bag as a warning to people on their cell phones," Mrs. Federman said.
One time, the Moreland Hills police picked up the women walking alongside road.
"They told us we could have been serial killers," Mrs. Federman said. An officer dropped them off at an area with sidewalks.
"Apparently, it is against the law to walk in Moreland Hills," Mrs. Hamilton said with a laugh.
The sisters' excursions have made for great gift-giving ideas from family members.
"For my 60th, my daughter bought us reflective vests. And in the rain, we wore garbage bags, so my son and daughter gave us ponchos," Mrs. Federman said.
Polly Brown is the owner of the Chagrin Falls boutique Polly Brown. Ms. Brown, 49, of South Russell met the women when they entered her shop one day.
"I saw them putting flip-flops on and we just started talking about it (their walking)," Mrs. Brown said. "They had an unusual story and were fun people to talk to."
Mrs. Brown said she supports what the two sisters are doing. "I think it's great, and really fun," she said.
Mrs. Federman and Mrs. Hamilton look at their walks as a bonding experience. "A lot of sisters have different interests," Mrs. Federman said.
"We enjoy being together, even though we are different in how we approach things," Mrs. Hamilton said. "Plus, who is she going to get to replace me? No one wants to walk that far."
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