Mall Walker Reaches Milestone

In a journey that began 12 years ago, one local man has now accomplished an incredible feat.

Dozens of friends and supporters stood by Boyd Otero’s side as he took his final lap around Colony Square Mall. In 2003, Otero set a pretty hefty goal for himself– to walk to the circumference of the earth. On Friday, fans cheered as he proudly crossed the finish line.

“I thought I was happy when I graduated from high school after 12 years, well it’s nothing compared to how I feel after 12 and a half years of reaching this goal, but honestly I think I put forth a little more effort on this goal, than when I was in high school,” Otero said.

As Otero made his final strides, vendors throughout the mall showered him with gifts and applause. Mayor of Zanesville, Jeff Tilton, even presented him with an honorary proclamation to celebrate his success and lasting determination. A recovering alcoholic, now 17 years sober, Otero’s inspiring story of courage and perseverance has touched countless lives all across the community.

“I’m just amazed that I made that much of an impact on people, and I’m just so grateful that they took the time out of their day and showed up for me,” Otero said.

Otero walked a total of 24,902 miles. He said he still plans to continue mall-walking, but this time…just for fun.