The title says it all:
Going the Distance: A Walk across Australia is the non-fiction account of Deanna
Sorensen's 1998 walk across Australia, from Perth to Sydney. The book
is an interesting, extremely informative account of that walk –
almost on a day-to-day basis – and is made the more interesting by
flashbacks to Deanna's earlier life in Canada, Asia and England and
her many other challenges, including a number of marathons.
The
enormity of first visualizing and then actually realizing a 5,000
kilometre walk is admirable, even though I myself would have found
the constant walking on main roads extremely stressful. On the
other hand, Deanna admits at the end of the book that, initially, the
important part of the vision was to achieve the goal, and, given that
attitude, it probably made sense to use the quickest way of getting
from A to B. However, after achieving a fantastic marathon result a
year after the walk ended, Deanna came to the conclusion that it is
not so much the goal but the journey itself that is the number one priority.
The book, therefore, is a
journey in more ways than one, and should appeal to a variety of
readers: those wanting to learn more about Australia; those
contemplating a similar kind of challenge and even those interested
in the personal story behind a challenge. Deanna's perseverance and
determination are both remarkable and contagious. Even if it is not a
book that can be read cover to cover in one sitting, it contains many
gems, and is definitely a worthwhile read.
