By Marley Anthony, Assistant Editor

From May 12 to May 28, six students backpacked through coastal Spain on the Camino de Santiago, a series of European pilgrimage routes, as a summer study abroad opportunity through the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Exercise and Sports Science department. 

Hiking more than170 miles through small cities and staying in hostels, students quickly became immersed in Spanish culture and adapted to life out of a backpack.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Lauren Luckey, a junior who went on the trip said. Being out of her comfort zone, this was Luckey’s first time doing anything like this, and after months of training, she still did not know what to expect when boarding the plane for Spain. 

“Being able to hike down to the ocean after a long day was an amazing experience,” Luckey said. Taking the Camino Del Norte route, students hiked along the northern coast of Spain in cities like San Sebastian and Bilbao. While on the trip, the students hiked for up to eight hours a day, which built endurance, but also patience. 

“[The students] spent a lot of time enjoying God’s creation,” Luckey said. “Whatever situation gets thrown at you, if you’re adaptable, you know you can overcome it.”

The group leader, Dr. Simone Provenzano did a research project while on the trip. The students took a DEXA scan before and after the trip to measure aspects such as muscle mass and bone density. Provenzano tested how much these aspects can change over three weeks of intense hiking. 

“I found that everybody responds differently,” Provenzano said. Citing how in her results, she found some students lost weight, gained muscle, or had no change at all. Part of the study also had students keeping food journals of what they ate, to help track the data, which she hopes to use again on the next trip. 

Dr. Provenzano plans to take a group to study abroad and hike the Camino de Santiago again in Summer of 2027. Check the Exercise and Sports Science department for more information.