When Debra Flinn left her home in Cape Coral, Fla., she was 216 pounds and a size 22. After walking 874 miles and arriving in Dandridge, Tenn., she had dropped to a size 16.

"I hope that they can see from my story that you can have a victorious outcome no matter where you're at," she said.

Flinn said an important part of her message is that the choices made in childhood can affect a person for the rest of his life, whether the choices are in schooling, drugs or food.

When she was only 7 years old, Flinn said she had an eating disorder, and she once had eight fried egg sandwiches in a row. Those choices affected the rest of her life, as she gained weight, lost weight and gained weight again. Last May, she had heart palpitations and acid reflux, and her husband told her to take control of her life before it was taken from her.

Two weeks later, Flinn embarked on her journey, walking the whole way with family members supporting her through different lengths. For awhile, Flinn had blisters and sores on her ankles, but the trip became easier with time.

"It started to get easier probably around Georgia," she said. "Once you've walked 300 miles, your legs start getting toned."

Flinn was fed throughout her walk by Subway, and Subway of Utah brought her to the state to talk to different groups about getting healthy. She will be walking approximately 150 miles through Utah, with Monday's walk beginning at the courthouse in Provo and ending at Thanksgiving Point.

Angela Wagner and Carolyn Quebe, runners on the Brigham Young University track team, also spoke to the children about fitness, and played running games with them. Quebe said children often do not play outside as much as they used to, and she hopes the presentation will help children understand the importance of being active.

Wagner said she believes it is important for parents to teach their children to be active and to get them involved in a sport they love.

"They have to do the thing that's fun for them," she said. "Running isn't fun for everyone."