Modesto octogenarian’s secret to staying healthy? It’s as easy as a walk in the park
At age 84, energetic Modestan John Scheuber is proving that staying healthy is as easy as a walk in the park. But not just any walk, a long walk. A walk around the world, to be exact.
In late January, Scheuber completed a goal set 11 years ago to walk the circumference of Earth, or 24,901 miles. He averaged about 6 miles a day, every day.
Yes, every day.
Nothing could keep Scheuber from his goal — not rain, not snow, not a global pandemic, not even a sore hip. “When I set a goal, I always achieve it. I have been that way my whole life,” he said.
It all started with retirement and a Fitbit.
Scheuber began his career in agriculture after graduating from Modesto Junior College and then Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1963 and taught agriculture business for 10 years at Modesto Junior College. He was named Teacher of the Year in 1972.
Upon leaving teaching, Scheuber transitioned into agriculture business management, overseeing million chicken egg-laying businesses in Indiana before returning to the Central Valley to run Veterinary Service Inc. in 1978.
After 43 years of owning and operating the successful animal health distribution company, Scheuber didn’t feel like slowing down.
“I was a farm boy in my early years and I would walk to catch a bus every morning around 7 a.m. So that started back then. I’ve always been a walker, but I didn’t set out with a goal until after I bought a Fitbit,” Scheuber said.
On March 27, 2013, he decided he would walk the circumference of the world. Preferring early mornings, Scheuber committed to walking at least five miles daily.
“Once I commit to a goal, there are no days off. Many people I know walk five or six days a week and take a day or two off, but you can’t complete your goal in a timely manner if you don’t walk daily. I have been sick, had a sore hip, and still the least I ever walked for the day was four miles,” he said.
Even travel and weather couldn’t stop him. “I traveled a lot in the last 10 years and I have walked a lot of airports in between flights. When staying in hotels, I would walk around the area, even if it was snowing. If it got too cold, I would walk the floors of the hotel. The treadmill is always my second choice, I prefer to walk outside or find a mall,” Scheuber said.
Once on a cruise, he was out walking and lost track of time when he received a call that the ship was boarding and leaving soon. He picked up the pace and made it back just in time. He stuck to walking on the ship’s deck instead.
What does he do on these long walks? “I like to say my early morning prayers while walking, preferably before the sun comes up. Then I practically live on the phone, connecting with friends and family and taking business calls related to the various community committees I serve on. I prefer not to walk with a dog because it is impossible to keep a good pace, as they like to stop often,” Scheuber explained.
Walking has brought his family closer, too. Scheuber married his high school sweetheart in 1960 and they have enjoyed many walks in their 64 years together. Though she didn’t join him in his walking goal, his daughter Sandi Scheuber did. She completed her walk around the world in nine years, often walking with her father.
“He greets everyone who he sees, sometimes in a bright red tracksuit, and has often been asked where he’s headed so fast,” Sandi Scheuber said of her dad in an email to The Bee. “He tracked all of this on several Fitbits (he outlasted them!).”
His pace has slowed over the last 10 years, but Scheuber’s routine and outlook on life haven’t. These days, he still is deeply committed to the agriculture community, having served on various boards including MJC ‘s Agriculture Advisory Committee, the California Community College Ag and Natural Resources Committee and the National Ag Science Center Foundation. As a titan in the agricultural industry, Scheuber frequently talks about his experience to audiences as large as a Future Farmers of America conference to local volunteer organizations.
Scheuber said walking and a busy calendar always have kept him energized. “I have not changed my approach to life much more than I was early on. I hope to maintain that. God willing the creek don’t rise.”
This story was originally published April 15, 2024 at 7:00 AM.
