Walking a “Gateway” to Healthy Living for Corpus Christi Employee
Daniel Gatchel, Corpus Christi, Texas-based senior customer service representative, has logged 2,098
miles since beginning a walking regimen five years ago. That equates roughly to walking east to west
across the Lone Star state two-and-a-half times. He also bikes to work every day, about 20 miles per
week.
“I just started walking around the building at work,” Daniel said. “For a lot of people that are time or
resource-constrained and can’t join a gym, walking beats all that hands down. You don’t need any
special equipment other than a good pair of sneakers.”
A YouTube video about race-walking first inspired Gatchel to shape up in 2008. Although he never
began race-walking, it became a springboard for his walking routine. To calculate how much he walked,
Daniel drove around the Corpus Christi site building and figured out that five laps equals a mile. He
began walking nearly every day after that.
He made it his goal to walk 10 miles per week, and walks during his breaks and lunch. He uses the Walk
Across Texas website via Texas A&M University to log his miles and keep track of his workouts.
“It’s a good motivator to have some sort of goal,” Daniel said. “If you try to hit it or surpass it, it keeps
you going.”
He walks three laps during his first break, six during lunch and another three laps over his second break.
Walking during lunch has additional benefits, too.
“Walking shortens my lunch, but that helps me control how much I eat, and I always brown-bag it,”
Daniel said. “It has helped me to not pick up that ‘pear shape’ from sitting all day.”
His best advice for those looking to start walking, or any regular exercise, is to take it slowly by
increasing speed or distance incrementally. “Don’t push yourself too much, start out with a couple laps
to give you time to get back to your desk,” Daniel said. “I’m not doing as much right now because it’s so
hot.”
The results of his walking showed up on his recent health screening, as well. Gatchel said it has helped
him maintain his weight and he’s within guidelines for his Body-Mass Index (BMI). He also uses it as a
time to rejuvenate. “During stressful times, it can help you calm down and get your focus back to where
it should be,” Daniel said.
He sees walking as a “gateway” to health. “It’s something that anyone can do at any time, in any
weather conditions,” Daniel said.
He began his career with First Data Sept. 11, 2006. As a senior customer service representative, he
works in Global Service Delivery under Financial Services, dealing with questions and inquiries for
internet banking. Gatchel takes 25-50 calls daily depending on the complexity of the issue.
“Our goal is to solve as many problems as we can,” he said. “We find out exactly what they need and get
back to the bank, so they can get back to their customer as quickly as possible.”
Daniel said he enjoys working at First Data because of the benefits to employees and the opportunities
the company provides. In 2009, with a suggestion from one of his managers, he enrolled in a full-time
online program through Western Governors University to receive his bachelor’s degree in information
technology.
“It works well with what I’m doing now by giving me an understanding of what’s going on behind the
technology scenes,” Daniel said.
He and his wife, Debbie, have been married for 20 years and have four daughters: Gloria, 14; Christina,
12; Danielle, 10 and Hannah, 8. They plan to move eventually to Ghana, Africa and open a Christian
school there.
“Working here allows me to achieve my personal goals,” Daniel said.
And through all of it, he said, “I’ll just keep walking.”
From left to right, Daniel Gotchel, his wife, Debbie, and his daughters Hannah, Danielle, Christina and Gloria.