Walk With Me

In April, I am walking the Camino Primitivo — all 200 miles of it — across the mountains and plains of northern Spain. I’m 83 years old. And I’ve never been more certain that I’m doing exactly the right thing at exactly the right time.

I’m doing this for Breaking Age, the nonprofit I founded to help people flourish in the second half of life. Our mission is simple and radical at the same time: life doesn’t have to get smaller as we get older. We exist to prove it — in the programs we run, the people we serve, and in the actions we take.

A 200-mile walk at 83 isn’t a stunt. It’s a statement. It says that the years ahead can be as large, as purposeful, and as full of adventure as any that came before. That’s what Breaking Age believes. That’s what I believe. And I hope, after reading this letter, that you believe it too.

I’d love for you to walk with me.

Your donation to Breaking Age will help fund the work we do every day — connecting older adults to purpose, community, and possibility. Every dollar is a vote for the idea that getting older doesn’t mean getting smaller.

But I want to offer you something personal in return.

Send me a prayer. It can be for yourself, for someone you love, for something you’re hoping for, or for something you’re grateful for. I will carry your prayer with me on the Camino and leave it at one of the ancient stone shrines along the way — in the tradition of pilgrims who have walked this road for over a thousand years, leaving their intentions, their griefs, and their hopes along the path.

And when I arrive — after 200 miles, the mountains and the plains and the small villages and the long silences, I will walk into the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, one of the most sacred places in the Christian world, where pilgrims have been arriving for centuries with tired feet and full hearts. Where the remains of St. James, one of Christ’s Apostles, are buried. I will carry your name inside with me, into that space where so many weary travelers have found something they were looking for, and I will light a candle for you.

Your prayer. Your name. Carried 200 miles. Left along the way and honored in the presence of St. James at the journey’s end.

Here’s how to join me:

Send your prayer to pwhitty@mac.com. Tell me if you want me to say it aloud or put it in a crevice and leave it.

No donation is too small. Every gift matters. And every prayer will be carried.

I will send updates from the trail — a few words and a photo — so you can walk alongside me in spirit. When I reach Santiago in May, I will share that moment with all of you who made it possible.

Thank you for believing, as I do, that it is never too late to do big things.

With deep gratitude,

Pat Whitty Founder, Breaking Age, Camino Pilgrim, April 2025