The Kleinfelder Blog

Project Controls Specialist Mark Stillman

Kleinfelder’s Steps Challenge, which incentivized staff to reach 100,000 steps between June 11 and July 14, got a lot of staff walking and running over the four-week period. For many, the Steps Challenge was about increasing activity and earning the 50-point incentive; for Kleinfelder Project Controls Specialist Mark Stillman however, the Steps Challenge ended up meaning much more.

Mark’s dad passed away in April, and in June he was still coping with the loss. “My dad and I were very close, so losing him really impacted me,” Mark explained. Although Mark sought the support of a grief counselor, he was still struggling with overcoming the loss. “The grief counselor kept saying I needed to take care of myself, but I didn’t get what that meant. I tried exercise, hiking, and even meditation but I found it difficult to reignite a sense of drive and fulfillment,” he said.

When the announcement about the Steps Challenge came out, Mark saw it as an opportunity to commit to doing something every day.  Little did he know, his participation in the challenge would not only enhance his physical health, but also transform his emotional wellbeing.

“It was clear in my mind that I wanted to complete the challenge, and to do so I needed to hold myself accountable to walk at least 15,000 steps each day,” Marked explained. He started out walking in the mornings before his family woke up and would listen to music or a podcast. “After the first week, I began to notice I felt better after each walk, and I started to think perhaps this is what it means to take care of yourself.”

When Mark checked the Steps Challenge leader board, he was surprised to see he was in fourth place. “Seeing my name close to the top really encouraged me,” he explained.  “Even though the top two competitors were many steps ahead of me, I became motivated to get in more steps than them, partially out of competitiveness but more so because I wanted to win the challenge in honor of my dad.”

Mark started drastically increasing his daily steps, taking multiple walks throughout the day whenever he had free time. By the beginning of the third week, he hit a personal record – 30,000 steps in one day (that’s about 15 miles)!  “I was sore, my feet were blistered, and my family couldn’t figure out why I was spending so much time walking just for 50 incentive points, but I was feeling great – I had lost 7 lbs. and felt motivated and driven, so I just kept going.”

At the end of the fourth week, Mark logged his final walk and then checked the leader board. He had hit 642,755 steps (that’s about 350 miles – the distance from San Francisco to Los Angeles!), claiming first place by about 6,500 steps. “I was proud I ranked first, and I know my dad would have been proud too,” Mark said. “Even more satisfying than placing first though is the fact that I felt healthy (I lost 12 pounds in a month) and happy, and I had developed a new passion that I can continue to do.”

Mark noted that he hopes when staff hear his story “it will encourage them to exercise every day, because the physical and emotional benefits of movement are real and attainable … it’s literally as easy as putting one foot in front of the other.”