A Highland Park woman has recreated Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad route to freedom.

Metra Lundy walked from the eastern shores of Maryland all the way to St. Catherine’s, Ontario, to retrace the steps Tubman took. And although Tubman’s path through New Jersey is unclear, Lundy set part of her northern route in Highland Park.

“The idea of doing that is great, but the physical toll is remarkable, to say the least,” says Lundy.

Lundy is an author, producer and fitness couch. She is also the subject of the documentary, “A Walk in Her Shoes,” which chronicles Lundy’s recreation of Tubman’s 695-mile journey to freedom.

Lundy says the journey was an attempt to overcome personal hurdles she was facing in 2017.

“Pain is a great motivator…I had a major health scare. My life was changing and shifting in ways that I just didn’t imagine, and I was at a fork in the road and needed to make some decisions,” Lundy says.

She says that she then had a dream and that set her journey in motion. She also chose to include a client who was also dealing with some of life’s hurdles.

“I told her, I basically dreamed about Tubman and that we should take a journey simulating Tubman’s steps to freedom as a way of sort of inspiring something within ourselves,” Lundy says.

The trek kicked off in June 2019. Initially, the route was only going to include the Maryland-to-Pennsylvania leg of the journey. But after a second dream, Lundy decided she would walk the entire route, ending in St. Catherine's. Along the route, they had to make changes because of things like safety and construction.

And although Lundy is a fitness professional, the trek proved to be grueling for even the fittest. But she says her journey gives a glimpse into what enslaved people had to endure as they followed the Underground Railroad to freedom.

“The blisters on the feet and the amount of strength you need to have in your legs and the clarity of mind and dedication to such a thing really opened my eyes to how it must have been for Tubman to do such a thing,” Lundy says.

The first leg of Lundy’s journey was from Maryland to New Jersey - 187 miles. She says it took her five days to complete. And as she continued north, she got to meet descendants of Tubman. She says it wasn't part of the original plan, but it happened. She said it was one of the best days of her life.

The DVD of her journey can be purchased at various online retailers.