A medal for turning up

Original non-fiction-style practice text.

My neighbour laughed when the walking group gave every participant a small medal. Nobody had raced, and the route had no steep hill. He said we were rewarding the ordinary business of putting one foot before another. I thought of the woman who had joined after months of being afraid to leave her house alone. Ordinary business can require extraordinary negotiation.

I would not replace every achievement award with a participation badge. There is value in recognising particular skill and effort, and a medal cannot tell every person's story. But this event did not claim to identify the fastest walker. It marked the completion of a shared route, which was precisely what the organisers had invited people to attempt.

The medals were inexpensive, a little too shiny and pleasingly solid in the hand. Mine hangs beside the key I used to lock the door before leaving. It does not certify athletic brilliance. It reminds me that on one damp morning I went, and that going was enough for the promise the event had made.

Assess the writer’s attitude towards the walking event’s participation medals. Use three details from the text to support your answer.