Oakwood walkers reach 5,000-mile plateau

Oakwood resident, Chris Smith, has two milestones to celebrate.

As he turns 50 on May 10, he also celebrates the fact that he has walked more than 5,000 miles with his trusty golden retriever, Ike (who just turned 9) and his neighbor, Sue Montesano. The trio started walking together in early 2003 and they haven’t stopped since. They walk three miles a day, seven days a week.

“We met through our sons, Adam Smith and AJ Montesano, who have been best friends since kindergarten at Smith School in Oakwood. We walk through every kind of weather including ice, snow and rain. It is more labor intensive in the winter but it has been well worth it,” Montesano said. “We never really calculated how much we walked until a neighbor asked a couple of weeks ago. So we got out the calculator and were shocked at how far we had gone.

“The amazing thing about Chris is that he also swims during lunch most weekdays so he gets a double workout.”

Smith also can be seen riding his bike through Oakwood. Last summer he launched the first Musket Ridge Triathlon that started in Oakwood. He and several friends completed the grueling competition in Franklin, Ohio.

Chris and his wife, Milissa, are also celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary this May.