Oakton Resident Puts Best Foot Forward to Help Others Do the Same

When Connie Kohler heard Operation Walk Virginia was seeking more volunteers, she saw it as an opportunity to take her passion for helping people to the next level.

Kohler, an occupational therapist at Inova Fair Oaks, joined OpWalk last fall and has thrown herself into helping the charity as much as she can. The second annual OpWalk 5K run is Sunday at Fort Hunt Park, and Kohler has assisted in organizing it and will also act as a bike leader.

"I don't know if we as individuals have to have goals," the Oakton resident said. "So I just set some and keep trying to raise money wherever I can."

The group's goal is to raise $6,000 from the walk. As of Thursday, they had raised a little more than $5,000.

And her passion for the cause has rubbed off on her family. Her husband's company became a sponsor for this weekend's walk, and her children — Lucas, 10, and Kiera, 7 — have plans to raise money through lemonade stands and dog washes this summer.

Operation Walk Virginia, a chapter of Operation Walk America, is a nonprofit organization that provides free medical treatment for life-threatening or debilitating joint conditions to people in developing countries. This year's trip will bring the group to Nicaragua in October. OpWalk Virginia also does an in-country mission trip every year to help U.S. citizens who lack health insurance with those problems.

"The mission trip really appealed to me because I've been wanting to expand to that next level," Kohler said. "Reaching outside the country is a whole different look. I thought it would give me some great perspective to improve my practice."

Kohler became an occupational therapist because she has always loved the medical field. In the hospital, she helps with orthopedic rehabilitation, which mostly deals with patients' post-operation needs. She also works with kids in their homes to help them with developmental rehabilitation, including the practice of hippotherapy, which uses a horse in someone's physical, occupational and speech-language therapy sessions.

"I really like working with people in a positive way to bring about positive outcomes," she said. "I really like being able to provide a positive therapeutic outcome in a lot of different ways."

After the walk, the group will throw a soiree Aug. 20 at River Farm in Alexandria to raise more money.

To donate to the cause, click here.

"In underdeveloped countries, they really don't even have access to pain management or anti-inflammatory medicines to prevent or delay the debilitating effects of arthritis, so these folks are in a lot of pain and discomfort and they're disabled," Kohler said. "[OpWalk] a great opportunity for our country, who has a lot of knowledge and benefits in terms of medical vision, to reach out and do something for others who are in need. It's a really great group. They've done a lot of neat stuff, so I'm really glad to be on board."