COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) – A woman in South Carolina celebrated her 74th birthday by walking 74 miles in a week.
At 8 a.m. Sophia Artis steps onto the walking trail at Sesquicentennial State Park in Columbia to start her morning walk.
Sophia has spent her life in the outdoors.
“Every time I am out in nature, like in this beautiful park, I see how pretty it is,” she said. “I feel like that’s God’s very special temple creation for me.”
Artis said it’s her Christian faith that brought her out to the trail every day for a week.
“There have been times that I’ve been too tired to come, but you can’t stop with Jesus because you’re tired,” she said.
She was determined to walk 74 miles in a week to mark her birthday.
“There have been days that my feet hurt, days that I thought I couldn’t do this. But you know, it has built my faith,” she said. “Because, I’ve come out and kept going only because He has encouraged me to do this, and has made me strong enough to get it done.“
She is active in the community and even headed up running clubs in her younger years.
These days, she’s still keeping a quick pace.
“People have sent me scriptures, encouraged me,” she said. “They’ve sent me gifts that have made this better. My sister gave me this shirt, my daughter gave me the camelback. Another friend bought me this wonderful pair of shoes.”
Artis moves along with the support of the small group she leads at church and other faithful friends.
“So many people have been invested, wanting me to succeed in this, and it’s just a testament to the human spirit that we really do want to see people succeed and do well,” she said.
Arstis said she uses the time, mile after mile to pray. She also said most anyone could benefit from a walk like this.
“Just invite him. He’s here,“ she said. ”He wants to come to everybody. And He’s available to everybody.”
Last Saturday, her church family at Grace Life Church on Clemson Road set up a finish line and reception at the Riverwalk in Columbia to mark the end of her 74th mile.
“I couldn’t understand why I was doing it. But God told me to do it – so I did,” she said.
A simple and kind way to say “well done” for her impressive feat.
As she received hugs and smiles at the finish line, she described the experience as, incredible and even deeply spiritual.
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