Barbara Byrne Says Walking The Camino Changed Her Life
Writer Barbara Byrne details how her decision to walk the Camino de Santiago transformed her life, overcoming personal adversity, weight struggles, and self-doubt to establish a dedicated walking and wellness venture.
From Weight Loss Goals to the Camino Trail
Byrne writes that her journey toward the Camino began in 2010. Having struggled with being very overweight, she started losing weight that same year. Cultural touchstones soon aligned with her personal goals. She read Paolo Coelho’s book The Pilgrimage and watched Martin Sheen’s 2010 film The Way, which provided a visual reference for the pilgrimage route. Facing past struggles with depression, a broken marriage, and the responsibilities of raising two daughters alone after leaving unhappy jobs, Byrne set a goal to experience the reported freedom and solitude of the trail.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome on the Portuguese Route
In September 2016 at age 45, Byrne undertook her first Camino. She walked the Portuguese way from Tui to Santiago over the course of a week, covering 117 kilometers with a group doing it for the Marie Keating Foundation. While the group provided a safety net, Byrne initially experienced intense imposter syndrome when she realized many fellow participants were cancer survivors and accomplished professionals, including one who had her own legal firm and a chief financial officer for a charity. A phone call to her partner at home provided a turning point when he reminded her of the support she offered others through her own weight loss support groups. Subsequent evening conversations with group members revealed that despite differing backgrounds, all participants carried heavy personal challenges, helping Byrne recognize her own worth and contributions.
Byrne Finds a Camino Angel During Solo Trip
In October 2021, following a world epidemic and having just turned 50, Byrne completed her first fully solo Camino trip, walking over the Pyrenees from St Jean Pied De Port to challenge personal limits regarding age and gender expectations. On her final day of walking—marked by heat, a long trail, stomach upset, and severe blisters—she encountered another struggling traveler on a bench. Though they did not share a common language, they communicated through shared exhaustion and empathy, exchanging a rub and jellies before hugging. Byrne identifies this traveler as a “Camino angel.”
The entire journey ultimately brought Byrne a sense of peace, clarity, and a deeper connection with herself. She is the founder of Walk This Way, an organization offering self-guided journeys, group walks, and wellness activities such as yoga and mindfulness in Ireland and Spain.