On any average sunny day, right after dismissal, students whose bus or car turns right onto Pylesville Road may end up seeing two ladies walking on the side of the road. Don’t worry, their car isn’t broken down; they’re staying healthy.

    Mrs. Earline Klapka, the cafeteria manager, and her friend Cindy Yost, a former worker for Facilities for Harford County Public Schools, walk up and down Pylesville Road, from Curves back to the school, whenever the days are nice. However, on days that are less than perfect, students may find Klapka walking around the school’s hallways.

Q: When did you start walking?

A: “I started walking about twenty years ago. In the beginning when I was a bit younger I would walk, me and my friend, Cindy Yost, seven to ten miles a day. Then, as we got older, now I walk everyday with Ms. Sparks, Mrs. Chandler, and we walk at least an hour a day. That’s probably three to three-and-a-half miles a day.”

Q: Why do you walk?

A: “I just decided when my daughter had her first baby that I didn’t want to be an unfit Grandma so I started walking. I just love it. It’s like brushing your teeth everyday; it’s a routine you get into. It’s like a high. When you walk and do exercise, you just feel so good inside. My dad died at 54, very young because he didn’t take care of himself, and that was another reason I started to walk. I just feel good about it.”

Q: What are the challenges you may face when walking on the side of the road?

A: “Watching out for cars – the traffic. We always face traffic because I always told my friend, if a car is coming down too close to us, “I’m gonna push you in the ditch and I’ll be right on top of you.” Another thing we’re concerned about is to wear sunglasses because pebbles get caught in people’s tires and we’re always afraid it’s going to hit us in the eye. We’re walking down the road, people will blow their horns, we have no idea who they are but we wave to everybody.”

Q: What’s the farthest that you’ve walked?

A: “Twelve miles in one day. We walked from Curves all the way up to Fawn Grove Road and back. I also ran in a couple races. I won one here for [a race called] Sunshine Angles – they do a race every spring in April- and I won one race in Delta, for my age of course. I encourage other people to walk all the time. I have a couple ladies in the kitchen and we used to walk together. A lot of people give up but they shouldn’t because you got to be healthy.”

Q: Do you walk when it’s nice out?

A: “When it’s bad weather I walk in the school. I also go to Curves and workout there too.”

Q: Do you have any funny stories from all of your years of walking?

A: “ Me and my friend [Yost] were walking down 165 [Pylesville Road], and I know they were North Harford High School students,boys, and they were going “Wahoo” and waving to us and when they get off they were probably thinking ‘Oh my God that’s two old ladies.’ We wave to everybody. I meet a lot of nice people though. People will stop and they think were walking ‘cuz our car is broke down…they offer their help to drive us somewhere.”