Oregon man credits Metroparks for changing his life

OREGON, Ohio (WTVG) - Kevin O’Korn, of Oregon, walks almost every day and he credits Metroparks Toledo for helping him get in shape.

A year ago, O’Korn weighed 375 lbs. and the goal was to get off the couch. Since he started walking, he’s lost 116 lbs. -- the 49-year-old says he wants to be under 200 by his 50th birthday -- and he says the parks give him something to look forward to. Now his goal is to hit every Metropark in the area. He’s done nearly 10 already.

“You come into the parks, they’re all meticulously maintained, they’re just absolutely gorgeous,” he says. “There’s so much variety. I think the Metroparks have done such a great job of putting the parks in different areas to really highlight the different features of the Black Swamp area.”

But the journey goes beyond taking in the sights and sounds.

“My son is a musician and a performer, and I love watching him perform, and I just want to make sure that I’m there for him,” he says.

And for himself: he’s doing something he’s never done before.

“I tried out for Toledo Rep’s production of ‘Something Rotten’,” he explains. “I’m 49 years old, and I’m doing my first musical. A year ago, I could barely get off the couch.”

He documents his workouts on his Instagram where he shares photos daily of his progress. “I kind of at first was like, oh God, this seems so vain of me, taking a selfie every day. But I had one of my friends remind me, those pictures are really the only way you can see the changes on a day-to-day basis.”

If you want to get involved with walking the Metroparks, you can discover the trails of all the Metroparks here.

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