She proved it could be done a year ago when she became the first Bermudian to walk around the clock.

Now, on the second annual charity walk this weekend Marilyn Steede would dearly love for somebody to join her and achieve the feat, too.

The problem is nobody seems up to the challenge of walking non-stop around Bermuda for 24 hours.

?We just thought the public might be interested in taking part, just like the other walks in Bermuda,? said Ms. Steede.

?As far as participation the response has not been good. I had one person sign up who said she was going to walk from midnight to 5 a.m. which is a challenge for her. She has been out training.?

Last year Ms Steede accomplished her goal of walking for 24 hours and raised $30,000 to go towards the Bermuda Stroke and Family Support Association?s project of funding a Neuro-Stroke Unit for stroke survivors at the hospital. She will be assisting the same charity with her second walk and would dearly love for it to involve other people.

The 24-hour walkathon will start at 5 a.m. on Saturday at Astwook Park, taking the walker ? or walkers ? east along South Road down to Tucker?s Town and into St. George?s.

They will continue over Barrack Hill, passing the forts, return to the town before heading west and continuing along North Shore all the way to Admiralty House.

They will turn left and head to Hamilton along Pitt?s Bay Road, Front Street and then over Trimingham Hill to the Paget traffic lights and along South Road to Dockyard. From Dockyard the route will be back to Barnes Corner and onto South Road before continuing on the same route after reaching Astwood Park.

The walk will end at 5 a.m. on Sunday and last year Ms Steede, expecting to finish somewhere in the region of Warwick Camp which was her starting point, actually reached Reid?s Restaurant in St. George?s by the finish time.

She stresses, however, it is not a race, and encourages those interested in participating to not treat it as such and to walk at their own pace.

By tomorrow she hopes to know who will be joining her on the walk. Last year she was joined for parts of the walk by stroke survivors and other supporters. The weather also co-operated.

?We had a breeze all day, the conditions were perfect,? she recalled.

?I felt the sun and it felt beautiful, I never got that uncomfortable feeling. Everybody who joined me walked much longer hours than they expected and were doing fine. I really believe there are people out there who could have done the whole thing.?

Ms Steede is still under that opinion a year later and urges anyone interested in taking on the challenge to contact her at 238-3358 or Mark Selley of the Stroke Association at 236-0037.

?I didn?t find it difficult, that?s why I told Mark I know there are a lot of people out there who can do it,? said Ms Steede who walks regularly.

?It might be a mind thing right now, but because I did it and with the people I see walking and walking with a real good pace, I know they can do this.

?One of their concerns might be about not sleeping, but once your adrenaline is going I don?t think that even comes into play. I know for a fact people can do it, and I am surprised that people don?t want to try.

?It?s not a race and I don?t want people to go out there and think they have to prove something to somebody. But they can do it, just like on Bermuda Day with the road race. You know who is going to win and they are up front, but all those other people are out there to challenge themselves.?

Ms Steede admits she was surprised at the condition she was in at the end of the walk.

?My body came around pretty quickly, that day and the next day I knew I had done something because I was stiff,? she said.

?But by the second day I was fine. The same day I finished I slept for a few hours and then had a massage at one o?clock. The same afternoon I had on high heel shoes and was in town paying bills!?

Last year?s walk finished on a Monday morning, but this time the walk will start on the Saturday and finish on the Sunday. That will give the participants a day to recover.

?I didn?t want to be responsible for people not going to work,? Ms Steede stressed. ?I?m going to donate a travel voucher to whoever collects the most money.

?I didn?t want to offer a prize to whoever covered the most distance for two reasons...I didn?t want to deter people by thinking it was going to be a competition for 24 hours and then people take on more than they can handle.?

There is a $20 registration fee to participate in the walk and registration forms should be completed and returned to the Cathedral Hall on Church Street on Wednesday between 12.15 and 2.15 p.m. Numbers and t-shirts can also be collected at the Hall tomorrow between the same times.

The walk will take place regardless of the weather and every walker will receive a certificate of participation.

Those wishing to make donations to the cause can make cheques payable to the Bermuda Stroke and Family Support Association, 4 Keith Hall Road, Warwick, WK 06.