A Bolesławiec resident Rafał Młynarski is 43 years old. As he says, his life changed dramatically about three and a half years ago. Previously, he worked as a truck driver for 10 years, which meant long hours behind the wheel, an unhealthy diet and little physical activity:
I started work at around 4:00–6:00 a.m. and finished at 6:00–7:00 p.m. That was what my ten years of working behind the wheel looked like. An unhealthy diet, energy drinks.
From 180 kilograms to 96
The turning point was bariatric surgery. The Bolesławiec resident decided to undergo stomach-reduction surgery. Before the operation, he lost weight from 180 to 156 kilograms over seven months. He underwent the procedure three and a half years ago.
Today, he weighs... 96 kilograms.
– I had the operation three and a half years ago and today I weigh 96 kilos. I lost more than 65 kilograms after bariatric surgery – he says.
In his case, the change in body weight became the beginning of a completely new lifestyle. – Since I had been given a second chance at life, I started enjoying things I could not do before: cycling, swimming and running – he says.
Today, he can run 20 kilometres and walk 20–30 kilometres, cycles regularly and is returning to the mountains. In September last year, he walked from Świeradów-Zdrój to Karpacz. He covered the distance in three days and ended the trip by climbing Śnieżka.
First by bicycle, then on foot
The idea for a walking trip along the coast came after an earlier cycling journey. A year earlier, the Bolesławiec resident had cycled from Świnoujście to Hel and then continued towards Piaski. Importantly, he did it on an ordinary city bicycle. Distance: 700 kilometres.
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At the very end of that route, he came up with the idea of covering the same distance on foot.
He did exactly as he had thought. In the second half of June, he packed his things, took a train to Świnoujście and set off on foot. In the end, he walked 377 kilometres—partly along the beach and partly on asphalt.
On the first day, because he arrived in Świnoujście late, he walked “only” 26 kilometres. On the following days, he usually covered 35–38 kilometres. The plan even called for 45–50 kilometres a day.
There was, however, one problem he had not anticipated.
Fifteen kilograms on his back
Rafał Młynarski was used to long distances. He ran, walked and cycled. In Bolesławiec and the surrounding area, he regularly covered more kilometres, including in winter. During the June trip, the problem turned out to be... his backpack—about 15 kilograms of luggage.
And it was the luggage that proved to be the greatest challenge. The Bolesławiec resident says:
I prepared in Bolesławiec: running, cycling and lots of walking. I had never walked or run with a backpack. It overwhelmed me.
His back and shoulders hurt. After the trip, he knows what he would do differently—he would take less luggage.
Władysławowo–Hel in two days
The trip did not go exactly according to plan. One reason was the weather. Very high temperatures prevailed during the walk along the Baltic coast.
Rafał Młynarski wanted to cover the Władysławowo–Hel section in one day. In the end, he needed two. – I was in Władysławowo, and it was forty degrees; I covered Władysławowo–Hel in two days, although I wanted to do it in one day– he admits.
Despite the difficulties, he reached his destination. In Hel, he came up with the idea of continuing the journey—as he had the previous year—towards Piaski. This time, however, logistics proved to be an obstacle. Mr Rafał wanted to send his heavy backpack home, but it turned out that such a large shipment could not be sent from there:
I wanted to send it as a parcel because my back was hurting so much. But in Hel, unfortunately, no one wanted to accept it. They said it was oversized and too heavy.
In the end, he gave up on the rest of the trip. The most important thing, however, was that he achieved his main goal: he walked 377 kilometres from Świnoujście to Hel in 12 days.
“I’m as stubborn as a donkey”
One of the most demanding sections of the journey was the stretch between Kołobrzeg and Hel. The Bolesławiec resident recalls struggling with back and shoulder pain for several days. In Kołobrzeg, he even came close to giving up.
Ultimately, he decided to continue the journey. Successfully.
A new challenge? Cycling around Poland
The Bolesławiec resident has no intention of slowing down. He is currently preparing for another major challenge—cycling around Poland. He wants to do it next spring. First, however, he plans to train properly.
He also does not rule out further trips abroad. He mentions France or even the United States, but for now he does not want to look too far into the future. – I live from day to day and enjoy what I have already managed to achieve – he says.
The recipe for happiness
One thing remains unchanged: daily physical activity. Mr Rafał says:
For me, there is no day without activity. I was given a second chance, and I intend to make the most of it.
For the 43-year-old from Bolesławiec, walking 377 kilometres is therefore not the end of the story. It is another point on the path he began several years ago—from 180 kilograms and a completely different lifestyle to hundreds of kilometres covered on foot, by running and by bicycle.