88-year-old man completes walk ‘around-the-world’

LOS ANGELES - An 88-year-old Massachusetts man has completed the ultimate achievement: walking nearly 25,000 miles — equivalent to the total circumference of the Earth.

It’s a feat that Brad Hathaway took 32 years to accomplish, beginning in 1988 when he found out he was at risk for heart disease and diabetes. Hathaway’s doctors advised he get more exercise.

Hathaway, of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, began to walk almost daily, covering at least three miles on most outings.

After three decades, Hathaway accomplished his goal on Oct. 3, logging 24,901 miles — the equivalent of circling the globe at the equator.

"I found out a few weeks ago from a fellow walker that if I went from pole-to-pole, I could save 20 miles," Hathaway told news station WCVB 5.

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WCVB 5 reported that Hathaway walked the final mile with friends and family to celebrate his accomplishment.

After three decades, Brad Hathaway accomplished his goal on Oct. 3, logging 24,901 miles — the equivalent of circling the globe at the equator. (A Walk Around the World for Mattapoisett Land GoFundMe/Twitter)

“The fact that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s last December only added to the challenge but failed to deter his efforts,” the walk’s GoFundMe account stated.

The GoFundMe is dedicated the Mattapoisett Land Trust, which Hathaway co-founded in 1974, to acquire and protect land in Mattapoisett — land where Hathaway walks.

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Hathaway hopes his story is a message to get out and be active.

"I hear a lot of people now, when they get to this stage in life, they kind of give up. But I'm not going to give up, I'm going to keep walking. I'm going to keep walking as long as I can. When my time comes, that's when I'll stop," Hathaway told WCVB 5.