Stilt walker reaches Grand Haven

Sat, May 17, 2008    to del.icio.us

It may have taken awhile to get used to walking 20 miles a day on stilts, but it seems Neil Sauter has hit his stride.

Click to enlarge
The 25-year-old Blissfield man started from the southeast corner of Michigan on May 5, and reached Grand Haven Township on Friday.

"I started off a little out of shape, but since then I'm getting stronger and meeting my miles every day, so I'm really excited," he said.

Sauter stopped his walk in Grand Haven Township late Friday afternoon so he could drive to the West Michigan Whitecaps game. He'll continue stilt walking north through Grand Haven on Sunday morning.

Over the next six weeks he plans to walk another 630 miles, finishing along the Wisconsin border of the Upper Peninsula.

Several Grand Haven Township residents stopped Sauter for pictures while he was walking on the bicycle path along Lakeshore Drive near Rosy Mound Elementary School Friday.

"It's pretty cool," said Grand Haven Township resident Lori Koornneef after taking a picture of her son, Joshua, next to Sauter. "It's definitely ambitious."

A young bicyclist and a skateboarder even sailed between Sauter's extendo legs when he motioned them through.

Sauter said he's gotten used to a constant background of honking from friendly motorists during the journey.

Click to enlarge
Since he started from Lambertville two weeks ago, Sauter has walked just over 200 miles, and has met many people along the way.

He said one woman near Jackson called to him out of her car window, "Hey, can you come to our school?"

When he turned the corner, 150 children were clamoring to see him.

"I did an impromptu assembly right there in the parking lot, so that was a fun experience," he said.

Sauter's walk is raising money and awareness for United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan, which provides assistance for people with the muscular condition. Sauter has a mild case of cerebral palsy, and wants to prove to children that it's possible to overcome.

The walk has raised $5,300 so far.

"It's been quite successful," he said. "I'm definitely hoping that as more people hear about it as I make it up the state that more people will donate."

On the Net:

www.stiltstory.org