WalkIcon: Ken Press ::: Walk Coach

WalkIcons(tm) is the Walktopia interview series that explores the walk universe...people, places and activities of the walking community. Our goal is to connect dispersed elements of this dynamic, global walking community through talking and sharing. This week we talked with walking coach Ken Press, Director of SacFit and excerpts from our Q&A will be posted throughout the season.

Ken was forever changed by his high school sports experiences. He played football, baseball and soccer but was also a keen observer of coaches. He saw what worked and didn’t work and later he decided to hone his natural talent into an approach that helps marathon runners and walkers. Press prepares beginners of all ability levels to participate in athletic events that range from walker-friendly 5Ks to 26-mile marathons that require walkers to complete a mile in an abbreviated period of time. He says his inspiration to begin a coaching career came from his mother who began running marathons at age 37.

Press has a unique approach that includes embracing candor and the admission that he can be “wacky” when it comes to infusing fun into training. A standard WalkIcon interview question led to the discovery that Press is also an accomplished musician who plays keyboards and composes music for local theater and other productions. Most recently he scored The Survivor Diaries, a presentation of anecdotal breast cancer survivor stories.

Tune in to hear more from our conversation with Ken.