First American woman to walk around the world, Minneapolis native Polly Letofsky returns to the Twin Cities on Tuesday, June 15 for the launch of “3mph: The Adventures of One Woman’s Walk Around the World.” The book release party is from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Stella’s Fish Café, 1400 West Lake Street.
Letofsky, who grew up on 1st Avenue in South Minneapolis attended Field Elementary and Washburn High School. She relocated to Colorado in 1982 after graduating from the Brown School of Broadcasting.
Inspired by the actions of Minnesota native Dave Kunst, the first American man to walk around the world, Letofsky set her sights on trekking around the globe when she was only twelve years old. As an adult, she united this dream with another goal: to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer.
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“It only took me five years to walk around the world, but it took even longer to write this book,” she laughed, during a telephone interview from her Vail, Colorado home.
“It definitely feels great to bring this story back full circle to the old neighborhood.”
On August 1, 1999, Letofsky left Colorado to discover the world-on foot. She walked over 14,000 miles, across 4 continents, through 22 countries.
When asked why it took so long to complete 3MPH she explained. “After five years of adventure and experiencing the kindness of others throughout the globe, my first priority after completing the walk was getting a job and acclimating back into some type of normal life.”
Letofsky worked in corporate sales in the hospitality industry before launching a full-time career as a motivational speaker. In 2009, Polly’s GlobalWalk, a documentary film produced by Newcastle Productions debuted at the Parkway Theater as a fundraiser for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Mayo Clinic.
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