At Wider Circle, we see everyday how small steps lead to big transformations. Sometimes all it takes is one step, and one person willing to take it first.
In this edition of Stories from the Circle, meet Jessie, a 94-year-old who turned her own recovery into a movement. After a fall left her bedridden for three months, Wider Circle helped her get back on her feet. Now, she’s an ambassador leading a walking group of 14 neighbors toward better health.
Watch Jessie’s story on YouTube and check it out below. We hope her journey inspires you to keep moving forward, together.
Jessie O.
Walking Forward Together: Jessie’s Story of Resilience and Community
At 94, Jessie turned her recovery into a mission: getting her neighbors moving, one step at a time.
At 94, Jessie O’Shea doesn’t slow down – and she’s not about to let anyone else, either.
After a fall left her bedridden for three months, Jessie received orders from her therapist: she needed to start walking again. But she could only walk 50 feet at a time, but she was determined and kept going.
As a Wider Circle Ambassador, Jessie looked to her community to get back on her feet. And that’s where she saw an opportunity: neighbors who wanted to walk but needed a push. So she started her own walking group.
Jessie’s walking group welcomes everyone – no matter their pace or ability. “We have fast walkers and slow walkers,” she said. Many members use canes or walkers. “It’s funny to see us all walking around the park with the walkers, but they get out there.”
What started with eight members has grown to fourteen. And the results go beyond just showing up, members report feeling more flexible, walking longer distances, and for some, blood pressure has come down.
The walking helped Jessie, too. She’s now fully recovered from her fall, and hasn’t slowed down since.
But for Jessie, the real reward runs deeper. “The excitement I get is when I see the improvement in somebody else by getting them to participate,” she said. “It just makes me feel good that I did a little thing to make them feel better.”
Beyond the walking group, Jessie discovered something unexpected: a neighborhood full of new friends who had been there all along. Through Wider Circle, she connected with people who live right around her, people she might never have met.
“I met so many different people,” Jessie explained. “This was just a new adventure for me. Trying to work together makes it a lot easier and it makes it fun.”
That community now shows up for Jessie the same way she shows up for them. When she needs a ride, neighbors offer to pick her up. When something needs lifting, they’re there. And if they don’t see her? They check in.
“They said, if you want something, call me. I’ll come over and lift whatever you want lifted,” Jessie shared. “To me, that means a lot.“
What started as a recovery from a fall became something far greater: a network of care, movement, and genuine connection. At 94, Jessie isn’t just getting by. She’s leading others toward better health, one step at a time.
“I’ve been blessed,” she said simply.
And her Wider Circle community would say the same about her.
Thank you, Jessie, for showing us that it’s never too late to inspire others. And thank you to our sponsors for helping make stories like Jessie’s possible every day.
Want to hear more of Jessie’s story? Check out the video below:
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About the author: Jamie Zale
Wider Circle
