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Scotiabank Charity Challenge Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Canada Running Series

Apr 30 2018
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Charity Spotlight: Alzheimer Society of B.C.

By | Charity, Scotiabank Charity Challenge, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

The Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon is proud to support local charities as part of the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, with the goal of raising over $1,000,000 annually for local charities. Each year, charities such as the Alzheimer Society of BC build fundraising teams to support their causes, with runners participating in both the half-marathon and the 5k races.

Here’s a look at some team members raising money for the Alzheimer Society of BC:

 

Participant Name: Bark Kong

Goal Time: Under two hours for the half-marathon

Running wisdom: “Take the first step and be patient with yourself… it’s more about the process than the finish. Don’t go out too hard. It’s not a sprint; it’s like running a marathon, well…except it’s half. There is a lot of training information available on the internet, so find a program that works for you and decide to do it!”

Why he runs: “It’s both the challenge of doing something hard and the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve done it.”

What’s special about the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k: “Not only is this event a way for me to use my love for running to raise funds, it lets me get to know my friends and colleagues in a new and fun way. For example, I learned that Emily (Pridham, Manager, Regional Services for Vancouver Island) is really competitive – almost as much as I am.”

Bark is the veteran runner on the team. With six full marathons and eight half-marathons under his hydration belt, he’s more than ready to take on the mental challenge of 21.1 kilometres alone with his thoughts – with the help of a healthy cheering section on race day. This is the third consecutive Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k that he’ll tackle with the help of high-altitude, trail and road training and some intense metal in his headphones. Still smarting from a devastating loss last year to his worthy competitor, Emily Pridham, he has a new training program that is driven by the raw desire to come out ahead of his much younger colleagues. To show Bark your support, visit his fundraising page.

 

Participant Name: Emily Pridham

Goal Time: Under two hours for the half-marathon… and to beat Bark!

Message to other new runners: “Don’t be scared to try something uncomfortable. Ease in gently and set goals.”

What she learned about herself at her first Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k in 2017: “I was surprised by how into the fundraising I got. I got competitive because I saw [my teammates’] totals going up and I didn’t want to be left in the dust!” (Emily started her fundraising with tentative social media posts and ended up enthusiastically knocking on her neighbours’ doors.)

Emily is an avid cyclist, but until last year, she had never run more than 10k. A month before the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k, she was inspired by Bark and Theresa Frazao – who was also planning to run her first half-marathon for the Society – and she joined the team. The combination of her love for physical and leadership challenges, the healthy competition with her colleagues and the opportunity to embody the philanthropic spirit of the Society was enough to drive Emily to the finish line with little preparation. At the end of her dramatic debut, Emily beat Bark to the finish line by a minute. Complicating her win, however, shortly after the race, Bark learned he had been running with appendicitis. Now he’s back to full strength and ready for his re-match. Emily, with a year of running behind her, isn’t about to hand the top spot over to Bark – or the latest contender to join the office road race. To show your support for Emily, visit her fundraising page.

 

Participant Name: Allison Baker (aka, The Mystery Runner)

Goal Time: 1:45 for the half-marathon

Where she runs: Along the beach in Tsawwassen.

Why join the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k? “To be a part of a team. Running can be a very lonely sport. I’m excited to do it with a team because I’m extra competitive and I’m usually just competing with myself.”

Message to her teammates: “Bring it on!”

Earlier this year, when the Society team began to take shape at the provincial office, Allison threw her hat in the ring for the half-marathon – without revealing her identity to her teammates. At first, The Mystery Runner in the office sparked intrigue. Now that the secret’s out, so is the truth about Allison’s running resume. She has completed two full marathons and is now training for her third. Allison initially took up running at the age of 14 to impress her hockey coach and later fell in love with the endorphins she found pounding the pavement to her pop favourites. Will the ‘90s nostalgia of the Spice Girls and ‘N Sync propel her to the finish line before her colleagues? That part’s still a mystery. To show your support for Allison, visit her fundraising page.

 

Participant Name: Theresa Frazao

Goal: “To run a strong 5k in June and use these beautiful spring months to get outside and run again.”

Why she runs: “I love the endorphins and doing what I can to be fit and strong. I also love how meditative it is. It’s really hard to think about your problems when you are running.”

Run tunes: Fast, energetic pop songs to keep up her pace.

Last year Theresa completed her first half-marathon on the Society team. This year, she’ll be returning to the 5k distance and joining thousands of other runners and walkers on the shorter course. To all the less-competitive runners out there, Theresa has this to say: “5k is the perfect distance to participate in an event like this because you can run, you can walk or you can do a combination of the two. And you can recruit some friends to come out for the morning and walk or run with you! The crowds, the entertainment, the cheerleaders and the charity village all add to a great festival environment and you’ll have a blast while doing some good for the Alzheimer Society of B.C.” To show Theresa your support, visit her fundraising page.

Apr 09 2018
1

Running, Volunteering and Fundraising

By | Digital Champions, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

Digital Champion Margaret Buttner has been involved in the sport of running for close to 20 years, but it wasn’t until 2011 when she met the iconic Katherine Switzer that she made a commitment to begin running herself! Margaret has since run distances from the 5k to half-marathon and feels very privileged to have made so many great friendships through Vancouver’s running community. She can’t imagine a better sport or better friends to be associate with. Connect with Margaret on Twitter. 

Running, Volunteering and Fundraising. By Margaret Buttner. 

It’s funny how life turns out. If you had told me 30 years ago that this is what my life would look like, and how enjoyable it is, I would have said you were crazy. It’s definitely one of those “one thing led to another” scenarios.

First – the volunteering: My husband Geoffrey joined Lions Gate Road Runners, a local running club, in 1995. It wasn’t long before I became involved as a volunteer, starting with course marshaling, graduating to “food goddess” and ultimately to vice president. Being a volunteer in the Vancouver running community really means being part of a family. We help at each other’s events, we socialize together and sometimes we even travel together (for example, South Africa in 2014). Along the way I’ve had the privilege of meeting many runners – from elites to everyday runners. It’s hard not to be inspired after watching runners and walkers meet the challenge of a marathon, half marathon or shorter distance, many for the first time.  In 2011, I had my “aha” moment – I met Kathrine Switzer and promised her that I would finish a half marathon before the next time she saw me. I fulfilled that pledge and have never forgotten the feeling of satisfaction as I crossed the finish line.

Second – slow running: It didn’t take me long to realize that I was going to be a “slow but steady” runner. I have a couple of foot issues that come and go, and taking it easier on course keeps my feet happy. I started running more in 2012 – mostly shorter distances, but wasn’t seeing much progress in my times. But I started losing weight later that year, and started to see improved results. Crossing the finish line felt better and better, as did collecting the race medal and wearing it proudly the rest of the day. My preferred distance these days is 10K and under, but there are so many great races around Vancouver that it’s not hard to find one. We also live five blocks from the ocean, so training runs are incredibly scenic.

Last – the fundraising: I’ve participated in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge for 10 years now. When I joined the Vancouver Public Library Foundation last year, I knew that the Charity Challenge was a great fit. There are so many enthusiastic runners at the library, and with a staff of 800 it wasn’t hard to put a team together – “Readers in Motion”. Every morning I walk into this spectacular building knowing I have the best job ever. Funds raised from the Charity Challenge will fund valuable early literacy programs for young children, reading mentoring programs for teens and children, and spaces such as the Inspiration Lab, the first free digital creation space in Vancouver. We’re organizing a “treat trolley” in early June to help raise awareness and funds for our team. For my own fundraising, I’m not beneath bribery – offering home-baked cookies to friends that pledge me. They’re all pretty generous – I’m very lucky to have them in my life.

 

Jan 30 2018
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Ryan Chilibeck joins Canada Running Series as Western Race Director

By | Community Leaders, Eastside 10k, Newsletter, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

VANCOUVER. January 30th, 2018. Canada Running Series is delighted to announce the appointment of Ryan Chilibeck, who will join the team as Race Director, CRS West, replacing Clif Cunningham. Ryan’s first day will be tomorrow, January 31st, though Clif will continue full-time until the summer as part of a smooth transition.

“After 17 years, we’re sad to see Clif move on in search of new adventures,” said President Alan Brookes, “but thrilled to have someone with Ryan’s combined running, community and business experience on board to continue to build on the success of the events.”

Ryan ChilibeckA lifetime sportsperson, Ryan turned to running in 2010, and got the “race experience” bug when he signed up for Canada Running Series’ Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon in 2014. That was also the year he founded East Van Run Crew:

“Until 2014, I typically ran alone,” he recalls. “Then one of my friends was running with Parkdale Roadrunners in Toronto and I couldn’t stop watching his social media feed to see what was going on. I looked around Vancouver and didn’t see anything that really captured the energy of this new running movement that they were bringing to the streets every week. In the lead up to my 2014 Scotia Half, EVRC was founded over social media, to a lukewarm reception. From there, things have just snowballed into what EVRC is today…a large, dynamic, inviting, open-door, community-building and thirsty group of people who also like to run.

Once this social aspect of running came into my life, it gave me another thing to look forward to every week: a new circle of friends and a creative output that no job could not offer me at the time. We were able to raise money for charities, jump on social media to connect with runners across the globe, host group events in our own city and represent our run crews at races around the world.”

From 2012 to 2016, Ryan also gained invaluable business experience establishing and managing a flourishing Famoso Pizza franchise in East Vancouver that also helped sponsor races and act as a popular location for crew runs, post-run pizza and beer, as well as supporting a wide range of community-based charities. He also coordinated and oversaw the training of new Famoso partners and their management teams, and re-vamped and refreshed the music offerings at 29 Famoso locations across Canada.

Ryan has spent the past year in Edmonton where he launched and managed the Northern Alberta Trail Run Series.

“Bringing a new Race Series to Edmonton was an incredibly rewarding experience. I was able to use my previous racing knowledge to coordinate the entire runner-experience from registration to finish line. There is no better feeling than seeing a lofty vision and months’ worth of planning come to reality. The only downside was that I never got to race in any of them! I’m really looking forward to bringing my personal experiences and talents to the amazing structure that Clif, Tom and the rest of the CRS team has worked hard to create across the country.”

Ryan will be joined on the Canada Running Series West team by Jen Cerullo and Ron Denischuk, two high-energy event professionals, as Event Manager and Operations Manager, respectively. Jen has worked on many Vancouver-area events including prominent roles with lululemon’s Seawheeze, the Rock ‘n Roll Vancouver Half marathon and the First Half Half Marathon, as well as with CRS on the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in a range of volunteer-management, course, venue and “people” areas. Ron has worked with CRS under Tom Skinner for 5 years, as well as on the Sun Run and other major events. A UBC Business graduate, he is eager to step up as Tom moves on to a new challenge with HUB Cycling. Like Clif, though, Tom will be there in the transition to support the Scotia Half and the Under Armour Eastside 10k in race-week roles.

“We’re really excited about 2018, from Vancouver to Toronto and Montreal,” said Brookes. “And we’re looking forward to seeing the running community out in force to give Clif and Tom a royal send-off, and be part of the new energy, excitement and innovation that Ryan and his team will bring. We’re all building this together.”

Canada Running Series [CRS] is the nation’s premier running circuit with 7 events: 4 in Toronto, 2 in Vancouver and 1 in Montreal.  It annually attracts some 60,000 participants and raises more than $6 million for some 320 mostly-local charities. The Series includes the IAAF Gold Label Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and the Scotiabank Vancouver Half marathon, the only event in Canada to receive “Inspire Gold” certification from the Council for Responsible Sport in Oregon for its exemplary practice of sustainability. Since 1999, CRS has gained international recognition for innovation and organization. We are passionately committed to staging great experiences for runners of all levels from Canadian Olympians and International stars, to healthy lifestyle people and charity runners; and to making sport part of sustainable communities and the city-building process.  Our mission is “building community through the sport of running”.

Apr 21 2017
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#ScotiaHalf 2017 Charity Profiles – Family Places

By | Charity, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

Throughout the Lower Mainland, there are many Family Places that offer support, resources, and programs for families with young children who are under 6 years old.  Family Places provide help to young families to ensure their children are raised in a healthy and happy environment.  Not only do these places assist parents and caretakers with the necessary resources and activities to promote the child’s development, they  have drop-in and learning programs for the children too.

Four of the local Family Places are participating in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge in 2017.  If you want to learn more about their programs, or wish to donate, click on their link below for more information.

West Side Family Place SocietyWest Side Family Place

West Side Family Place makes a difference in the lives of families.

We know that raising children can be lonely, frustrating and sometimes bewildering. West Side Family Place provides a safe space for mothers, fathers, and caregivers with young children from all backgrounds to gather and play, free from judgement or the long-term commitment of registered programs.

Please join us in support of this amazing organization and help us continue to provide a welcoming space and practical programs that support the healthy development of children in the community.

For information about how to get involved, please contact Diane at 604-738-2819.

 

South Vancouver Family Place SocietySouth Vancouver Family Place

Our mandate is to support families (with children newborn to 5 years), in building healthy relationships and community networks by providing our services in welcoming, nurturing and respectful environments. In addition, we operate a licensed preschool serving 70 local families.

 

Please help South Vancouver Family Place to continue offering diverse and relevant programming for vulnerable families in South/East Vancouver. Join our team as a fundraiser, get your friends to also join our team as fundraisers, or to sponsor you. Every single penny sponsored to you is donated directly to South Vancouver Family Place.

 

Mount Pleasant Family Centre SocietyMount Pleasant Family Place

We are gathering a team of passionate supporters to run/walk 5K on Sunday, June 25 to help us raise awareness to the support we give to families with young children. For forty years the Mount Pleasant Family Centre Society has been providing a safe space where families with young children can make new friends, learn new skills, and receive support.

When you join our team, you get access to fundraising tools, training, team/race day photos, team spirit and the heartfelt gratitude of families that you’re literally stepping up for. All you need is a passion for healthy families.

For more information, please visit www.mpfamilycentre.ca.

Eastside Family Place SocietyEastside Family Place

You can help young children and families! Eastside Family Place is again participating in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge and we invite you to join our team or to make a donation today.

Parents often describe Eastside Family Place as a “home away from home,” a “lifesaver,” and a “microcosm of what we want the world to be.” We ARE the proverbial village raising the child!

Please help by joining & walking with us to raise funds. If that’s not possible, you can still support young children and families in East Vancouver by DONATING NOW through this page. Thank you!

Mar 31 2017
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#ScotiaHalf 2017 Charity Profiles

By | Charity, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

Over the next few months we’ll be profiling some of the amazing charities involved with this year’s Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k along with some of the great work they do. This week, we spoke to the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation.

Want to get involved? Find out more about the Scotiabank Charity Challenge here!

Royal Columbian Hospital FoundationRoyal Columbian Hospital Foundation

Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation is Pounding the Pavement for Preemies!

We are working together with friends and family to fundraise for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. This year our goal is to raise $88,000 to fund the remaining balance of our Infant Transport Incubator. An Infant Transport Incubator is a self-contained, mobile, intensive care unit for sick or premature babies to be transported to a neonatal intensive-care unit for specialized treatment.

The Van Marrewyk family experienced first-hand the exceptional care from the RCH Hospital after the birth of their triplet daughters in 2010. Wanting to give back, they organized an annual 5km walk for family and friends that also acted as a fundraiser for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Royal Columbian Hospital. Those Christmastime walkathons raised $110,000. As the family and the Foundation discussed future fundraising efforts, we all saw an advantage in joining the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. We caught up with the Van Marrewyk’s about their involvement, their goals and their story:

How/why did you decide to use the Scotiabank Charity Challenge as a big fundraiser instead of continuing with the walk you’ve put on in the past?  Do you still put the walk on as an annual event? 
This option was brought forward to us by the RCH Foundation.  The biggest reason that we joined forces with both the RCH foundation and Scotiabank Charity Challenge was for ease and exposure.  This fundraiser was never about our family it has always been about the NICU.  When we did the walk it was located in Ladner and it was difficult to bring the entire NICU community to us so it was always more of a family and friends event.  Now the event has been able to reach more of just the NICU community and that was ultimately what our family wanted.  Our dream was to raise awareness about the NICU and give the NICU families a place to come together and celebrate our miracles that have come through the NICU. 
We do not still do the walk, like everyone these days we are a busy family and the walk consumed roughly 6-8 months of our year trying to plan, execute the walk, and then finally send out all of the thank you’s.  We know how much goes into an event like this and for the foundation to take this work off of our plate has been amazing for us.  The RCH Foundation is truly the backbone of why this fundraiser has continued.

Royal Columbian Hospital FoundationWhat made you become so involved with the RCH Foundation?  I’m sure many families have been helped through their care, but what made you decide to give back over the years? 
Without the NICU we would not have our family of 6.  Our children were very sick when they came under the care of Dr. Al-Mudaffer of the NICU.  He and his team (doctors and nurses) made sure that they would find the answers of why the kids were so sick and he did.  The RCH Foundation was our avenue to ensure that our money made it back into the RCH NICU’s system.  They have been absolutely amazing in their tireless work and continue to exceed all of our expectations.  They always make things happen and always looking our for not only the hospitals best interests but also the families of the patients.  They make things happen!

Where does the money that’s fundraised go to every year? Is it based on the needs of the neonatal unit? 
Queenie (NICU Manager) still allows us to choose where this money goes.  Every time we start a new year we are given a few choices and the monetary amount of the items that we are discussing.  The current focus is an Infant Transport Incubator. Before this, we raised money to purchase a jet ventilator, which provides a gentle and effective mode of ventilation to help the most fragile premature babies breathe, since their lungs are not developed enough for them to breathe on their own. We’ve also purchased infusion pumps that deliver fluids and medications as well as a couple of isolette incubators.
The Incubator stretcher that we are currently still working on has been a special piece of equipment because we have an agreement with the hospital that we will continue to raise funds for this piece of equipment (forecasted 3 years) but the piece of equipment has already been purchased.  The hospital is paying for this piece of equipment and we are paying them back, what an amazing relationship!

When you sign up for the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon or 5k, you can choose to run for the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. Already registered to run? You can join their fundraising team today or make a donation to their team.

Dr. Peter AIDS FoundationDr. Peter AIDS Foundation

The Dr. Peter Centre is a leader in providing HIV care for individuals who face complex social and health issues, including mental illness, addictions, poverty, homelessness and social isolation.

Located in Vancouver’s West End, the Dr. Peter Centre provides three programs – day health, 24-hour specialized nursing care residence, and enhanced supportive housing, which together form a campus of care with integrative HIV services supporting personal autonomy and effective use of health care resources.

Now in our 8th year, staff and volunteers of the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation form the “Red Ribbon Roadrunners” and run in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge to fundraise. Our team runs not only for fitness, but also to support compassionate care for people living with HIV.

We chose the Scotiabank Charity Challenge as one of our yearly fundraisers because it is a world-class race that provides a seamless platform that allows us to focus our efforts and resources on fundraising. It is also a great way to meet new people, get in shape, and have fun!

The Red Ribbon Roadrunners participate annually in the Scotiabank Half-Marathon and 5k in support of the life-changing work of the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation. Every contribution makes a difference. When you run, walk or pledge on behalf of the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation, you help provide vital care for people living with HIV.

Our food and nutrition program is the cornerstone of our model of care. Every day in the day health program, nutritious breakfasts and lunches are served, providing the high level of nutrition needed for a person to fully benefit from HIV treatment and to bolster the immune system.

In our day health program, a meal is so much more than a meal – it’s THE draw for engagement in HIV treatment and other HIV care.

Our goal is to raise $5000, enough to fund 1000 meals at the Dr. Peter Centre!

Dr. Peter AIDS FoundationWhen you sign up for the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon or 5k, you can choose to run for The Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. Already registered to run? You can join their fundraising team today or make a donation to their team.

lipstick-projectThe Lipstick Project

The Lipstick Project is a small, Vancouver-based non-profit that provides free, professional spa services to men, women and children who are facing significant health challenges. Through partnerships with organizations like Ronald McDonald House, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice and the Vancouver Hospice Society, our volunteers deliver comfort, dignity and compassionate care to those in need. We’ve never participated in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge before and are really looking forward to engaging our community in this new way this year!

lipstick-projectWe chose to participate in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge because it is an event that such a diverse group of our community can participate in. Because volunteering with our organization requires a very specific skill set, there are lots of supporters and fans in our community who can’t volunteer with us. This event is a great way to engage our entire community and rally them around a specific cause.

People can run for our charity by signing up here and joining our team. We’re very excited to make this a community-building event that is much more than just on race-day. That’s why we have partnered up with Rackets & Runners’ run club for training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. We also have an active Facebook community where we’re posting training tips, gear info, stretching videos, and different tidbits to help people make the most of this experience.

The funds raised will help us continue our programs and services in the coming year. We’re also always hopeful to expand the reach of our organization to serve more people, and success in this fundraising endeavour would help us to bring those expansions to life.

When you sign up for the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon or 5k, you can choose to run for The Lipstick Project in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. Already registered to run? You can join their fundraising team today or make a donation to their team.

Check back next week – we’ll be talking to another one of our great charities! You can find the full list of our partner charities here.

Feb 13 2017
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Why Runners Participate in Event Fundraising

By | Scotiabank Charity Challenge, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

The Scotiabank Charity Challenge supports over 80 different charities each year through the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k. Each charity has a unique story and background for how they were founded and came to be a part of the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. The Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation is just one of these stories and they have been a huge part of this event for many years as they fundraise for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), largely in part to the Van Marrewyk family.

The Van Marrewyk family experienced incredible care for almost two months at the Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) NICU after the birth of their triplet daughters. Their appreciation led to the establishment of an annual 5k Christmas-time walkathon for friends and family in support of the NICU at RCH that raised over $110,000. Wanting to further their fundraising efforts, the Van Marrewyk’s and the RCH Foundation saw the advantage of the Scotiabank Charity Challenge and decided to take part. The RCH Foundation has raised over $125,000 since 2013 with the focus being on supporting neonatal care.

Making every step count is more than just participating in the event. The Charity Challenge program allows participants to run for the sake of others. Runners and walkers are given a unique opportunity to band together and fundraise for local charities of personal significance, creating a more meaningful race experience. The social aspect of a race is greatly enhanced with the camaraderie between friends, family, coworkers, and like-minded people as they work towards supporting their chosen charity. Helping the greater good is incredibly motivating, especially when individuals set personal goals for both their own race and their fundraising targets through their support both physically and financially.

In the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, Scotiabank covers all of the fees associated with online fundraising, allowing 100% of the funds that have been raised to go directly to the charity of your choice. Over $50 million has been raised nationally through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge from thousands of people running or walking in honour of loved ones, or to simply raise awareness and give back to their community.

No matter what distance you take part in or what amount you raise, your contribution makes every step count for charities in our community.

To take part in the Charity Challenge, sign up as part of a charity team when you register for the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon & 5k today! A list of current charities is available here with more being added every week.

Aug 23 2016
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Digital Champions Blog: Lessons from the Home of the Marathon

By | Digital Champions, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments
By Rachel Dewan
Toronto August 25th, 2016

If you had told me a year ago that I would be training for a marathon, I would have been skeptical. If you had told me a year ago that half of my marathon training would take place in Greece in the summer, I never would have believed you. Who would ever want to make training more difficult than it already is? As a student of archaeology, I have been fortunate enough to spend the last five summers excavating ancient sites on the island of Crete, but while the warm climate is a welcome escape from a long Canadian winter, the sun and the heat make for grueling conditions, far from the ideal running weather.

Yet, nearly one year after running my first half-marathon, here I am, finishing up the final week of two and a half months of marathon training and archaeological study in Crete. You see, that first 21.1 km race at the 2015 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon led to another in the winter, and then another in the spring. When friends started to talk about running the full marathon at this year’s STWM, I joked about it with them, but figured that my summer field work in Greece would make training too difficult. Then I learned about the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. Being able to use the marathon as an opportunity to fundraise for a charity that I care about seemed to me to be the best way to complete my first marathon and I couldn’t pass it up. I registered for the race, dedicating my first marathon experience to Matthew House, a refugee shelter in downtown Toronto, stuffed my luggage with energy gels and electrolyte tablets, and took my training across the ocean. After all, as the home of the first marathon, Greece seemed a particularly appropriate place to embark on this adventure.Rachel Dewan Blog Photo 1

Now, as the Greek part of my training comes to an end and I prepare to fly home to Toronto, I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Training this summer definitely wasn’t easy, but no one ever said it would be. In fact, I have learned more than I ever thought that I would, and about far more than just running. I should’ve known that the country which has already taught me so much through its history would have just as much to share in its present. After countless miles over Cretan soil, here are five lessons that I think apply to every run, whether you’re exploring the olive groves of Greece or the streets of Toronto.

1) You are always stronger than you think. I’ll be honest: that first 10k run on Crete was probably the hottest, sweatiest run of my life. But it broke whatever mental barrier I had built, and encouraged me to push myself, one training challenge after another. Each run was an accomplishment, and showed me just how strong the human body truly is. Runners, never underestimate your body’s ability to adjust to its surroundings. While the heat could be tough and the howling winds of East Crete became my nemesis, I put one foot in front of the other and told myself that sweet baklava awaited my return to the village.

2) Keep things in perspective. Of course, there were the inevitable days when a run was particularly tough or I was lacking energy after a long day of work. It was on those days that I needed an extra kick to get motivated; it was on those days when I reminded myself why I was doing this. For me, running the marathon isn’t just a personal challenge, but also a way to support Matthew House. The refugee crisis has hit Greece particularly hard and the effects of this global emergency run deep. Yet, it is places like Matthew House and the incredible people behind it who offer hope. So when I was exhausted from poring over books or studying ancient pottery and wanted to skip out on my training, I turned my thoughts to those for whom I was dedicating my marathon; those who are facing hardships I cannot even begin to comprehend – and persevering.

3) Encouragement is key. If you’re a runner in Greece, you will inevitably get asked, “But what are you running from?” Of course, it’s a question asked jokingly, but at the same time, let’s just say that running for running’s sake is not all that common in this country. That does not, however, mean that your running will not find support. In fact, quite the opposite! Memories of my summer runs are littered with little moments of motivation, from the supportive wave and nod of a lone fellow runner I might pass on the road, to the two elderly men who stepped off the curb to let me pass, broke into applause, and cheered me on with a chorus of “Bravo!” They may never know how much these little actions meant or how they helped me to finish that run strong, but I will certainly pay it forward, never underestimating the power of encouragement.

4) Appreciate the great outdoors. Even if nothing else had gone as planned, my runs would have been worthwhile for the scenery alone. If you’ve never been to Crete, add it to your list; blue water and glistening beaches abound, but more than that, there is an untamed beauty in the environment of this island, and nothing is more satisfying than reaching the perfect hilltop lookout with your own two feet.  Running gave me the chance to explore this natural environment in a unique, very personal way, and taught me to appreciate my surroundings at any speed. This is a lesson I will take back to Canada with me. We too often take the beauty of our home for granted; Greece has reminded me to look up from the road or the trail and take in the world we run through and live in every day.

Rachel Dewan Blog Photo 2

5) Honour tradition. The Greeks have given us the marathon and the Olympic Games, so I’d say they know a thing or two about athletic traditions. This spirit of tradition and the idea that athletes are following in the footsteps of the ancients lives on today, and the Greek people proudly commemorate their ancestors’ legacies. In fact, I began my summer training in Greece with a 7.5 km race at the ancient sanctuary of Nemea, where the finish line was set-up inside the ancient stadium! So regardless if you are running the traditional 42.2km, conquering a new half-marathon challenge, or running your first 5k, follow the Greek example and celebrate the fact that you are a part of history.

About Rachel Dewan: After running my first half-marathon at last year’s Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, I knew that it would not be my last. Three half-marathons later, I’m excited to mark another first at this year’s STWM: my first full marathon. It is an experience made all the more special by the Scotiabank Charity Challenge and the chance to support the amazing work of Matthew House, a refugee shelter right here in Toronto. Although my training plan is uniquely divided between the intense summer heat of Greece where I conduct archaeological field work, and a Canadian fall, I am continually motivated by the incredible spirit of the residents of Matthew House, my fellow Nike+ Run Club runners, and everyone training to run their best on October 16th. I can’t wait to share in this experience with you! Connect with Rachel on Twitter and Instagram. 

Aug 15 2016
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A Glimmer of Hope: Robert MacDonald and Team I Will

By | Digital Champions, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments
August 15th, 2016 – By Amy Friel 

Robert MacDonald knows how bright a glimmer of hope can be.

Four years ago, the Toronto-area native lay broken in a hospital bed, unable to move (or even to feel) anything from the waist down.

While vacationing with friends in Cabo, Mexico, MacDonald fell thirty feet from a hotel balcony, dislocating his spine in two places, fracturing nine vertebrae, breaking eleven ribs and his scapula, and puncturing a lung. The fractured vertebrae pinched his spinal cord, obstructing vital blood flow; the longer the obstruction went on, the more extensive the damage.

In need of immediate surgery, MacDonald was taken via air ambulance to St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, where a team of surgeons straightened and secured his spine using a computer-guided 3D intra-operative scanner. In terms of spinal cord injury, it was the gold standard in care: the fastest, most precise, and least invasive intervention possible. Even still, his diagnosis — asia B paraplegia — did not paint a promising picture.

For seven agonizing days, the twenty-six-year-old MacDonald struggled to come to terms with a future he could never have imagined. The lifelong athlete and former hockey and squash player now had a one-in-twenty shot of ever walking again.

“For those first seven days, nothing in my lower body moved,” MacDonald recalls. “I was in the ICU and I was pretty banged-up, and I thought, you know, I’m not gonna walk again. I know I’m not gonna walk again. I can’t feel anything in my lower body, I can’t move it. This is it.”

And then something happened — something terribly ordinary, yet quietly significant:  the big toe on his left foot began, ever so slightly, to twitch.

It wasn’t much. But for MacDonald, that small twitch was enough.

“I basically took it as a sign,” he says. “If my toe can twitch, well then, something else can move. I kept thinking, if you just keep moving, keep doing, keep thinking, keep positive — you’ll be able to heal.”

Robert MacDonald Treadmill

Once he was medically stabilized, MacDonald was transferred from St. Michael’s Hospital to Toronto Rehab’s Lyndhurst Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Centre, where a team of specialized physiotherapists designed a program to help him transition back into ordinary life. For someone with his diagnosis, this meant potentially learning to adapt to life in a wheelchair — a future that MacDonald was unwilling to accept.

“I believe that you alone are responsible,” he explains. “When you are potentially not ever going to walk again, you really realize quite quickly how dependent you would be on others. And that was a huge motivator for me. So I said, you got yourself into this — you’ve gotta get yourself out of it.”

His journey toward healing was measured, as he puts it, “in small muscle twitches.” Over time, he found he was able to voluntarily wiggle his toe, and began to regain the sense of touch in parts of his legs. After one month, he was able to stand with assistance. At three months in, he began to walk on his own.

The rehabilitation program was painful, tedious, and fraught with setbacks; each new milestone was hard-won. But throughout the process, MacDonald was undeterred.

“It didn’t matter if it was wiggle my toe, or get up to go to the bathroom, or walk for the first time, or stand up out of my wheelchair, or complete a 5K run,” he recalls. “It was just, I will, I will, I will. And that kind of became my mantra.”

As spinal cord injuries go, his case defies the odds. After months of inpatient treatment, a newly-discharged MacDonald walked, unassisted, through the doors of the Lyndhurst Centre, towards the independent life that once appeared to have been all but taken from him.

It’s a gift he does not take for granted.

“From what I understand, if I had had my injury ten years ago, I am definitely not walking again,” he says.

Determined to give back, and in the defiant spirit of the I Will mantra that carried him through his gruelling rehabilitation, MacDonald set his sights on running the 2015 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon, fundraising for the Toronto Rehab Foundation and the Lyndhurst Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Centre.

“They were hugely crucial to my recovery,” he explains. “I obviously don’t count my own self out — my attitude, work ethic, and all of that individual stuff that went along with it — but I think equally important is the health care that was provided by that facility.”

What began as a personal challenge quickly grew to include family and friends; by race day, 72 runners had joined MacDonald’s Team I Will, raising over $73,500 for the Lyndhurst Centre.

True to form, MacDonald did more than simply cover the distance.

“I gave it as hard as I possibly could in the last kilometre,” he recalls of the race. “So I wasquite out of breath. And I don’t know if you’ve ever heard anyone cry and cough at the same time? It is not a pleasant sound. I was crying, coughing, and laughing all at once.”Robert MacDonald STWM

For MacDonald, his half-marathon finish line represented more than just a personal goal: it was a celebration of a life he fought tooth-and-nail to get back, and of all those who had helped to make his fight possible.

Now in training for his first-ever full marathon, MacDonald and his Team I Will plan to return to the Scotiabank course this October, with a goal of fielding a team of 150 runners in every distance from the 5K to the marathon. MacDonald hopes to double the team’s fundraising to a goal of $150,000. At the top spinal cord research facility in the world, it’s a goal that could mean one more glimmer of hope for someone just like him.

“This isn’t for me,” MacDonald says. “This is for the next me.”

To join Robert MacDonald and Team I Will, please contact Vanessa Sousa at  vanessa.sousa@uhn.ca or call 416-597-3422 ext. 3724. 

Jul 26 2016
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Tarah Korir Running For World Championship Berth and For Kenyan Kids

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments
July 26th, 2016 – By Paul Gains 
STWM15_TarahKorir

Tarah Korir, STWM 2015

Any marathoner would be delighted with a personal best time, but Tarah Korir wants this and more when she lines up for the 2016 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16.

A berth on the Canadian team to the 2017 IAAF World Championships Marathon in London is in the offing should she run fast enough in this IAAF Gold Label race. And, because Toronto is also the Canadian National Championship, there are other considerations and rewards to be considered.

The Kenya-based mother of two was paced to a 2:35:46 time at the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon last May by an exclusive pacemaker, her husband and Kenyan Member of Parliament, Wesley Korir. That was a personal best by some fourteen minutes and opened her mind to greater prospects.

Wesley, the 2012 Boston Marathon champion, will represent Kenya at the 2016 Olympics and the couple had hopes of being the first husband wife duo to compete in the Olympic marathons. But Ottawa was unseasonably warm and Tarah fell short of the Olympic qualifying standard of 2:29:50.

“I am very happy with how that race went,” she says from her home in Cherangany, Kenya. “I think that I ran a smart race given the conditions. I hydrated well before and during the race which helped me to run well despite the heat. I do not usually run well in the heat so running a ‘PB’ in hot weather was great.

“Unlike my first marathon I still was able to maintain a decent pace right up to the end. I knew my chances of getting an Olympic qualifier on my second chance at the marathon was quite a long shot and that everything would have had to come together on race day including the weather. Finishing fifth overall – and first Canadian – also helped to make the Ottawa Marathon a special experience for me. I love racing in Canada where I can get support along the course from family and friends.”

Korir who is from St Clement, Ontario, just north of Waterloo, met Wesley when the two attended the University of Louisville. She has had an impressive year thus far. In addition to that enormous personal best, she represented Canada at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff March 26, finishing 23rd in a very good 1:12:04. Considering that day was marred by cold rain and wind her confidence has grown immensely.

“I think I will decide (my Toronto goal) once I’m further along in my training,” Korir adds. “Of course a personal best would be nice and I wonder what could have been possible on a cooler day in Ottawa.

“I don’t think I will change a whole lot (in training) except maybe trying to do a bit more mileage in workouts and long runs. My second marathon buildup had more mileage that the first but was still relatively conservative. I will see how my body responds to training.”

At this point the couple can’t say for certain whether Wesley will pace his wife, but he would like to. If he runs well in Rio, no doubt he will earn invitations to race a fall marathon. Regardless, Korir expects to have a good run in Toronto. “Wesley has told me he really enjoyed pacing me in Ottawa,” she reveals, “and I enjoyed having him pace me, especially because there ended up not being many other people around us. Wesley would love to pace me again if it works out.”

“I will definitely go in to Toronto with more confidence than the first one because of having now covered the distance twice. My confidence going into Ottawa was based on having good training leading up to Ottawa so my training prior to Toronto will also factor into my confidence level.”

In Kenya she has no shortage of training partners. Occasionally she runs with Wesley on his easy days and with a group of elite Kenyan women on other days. Given the conditions in Ottawa she knows she can run much faster.

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The IAAF announced the London 2017 qualifying standards in March. Women running 2:45:00 or better during the qualifying window, which began in January 1st of this year, are eligible for the race. At this point, Athletics Canada has not released their standards although Head Coach Peter Eriksson has indicated his standards will be superior to the IAAF’s. He says the National Team Committee will announce them “prior to the marathon in October.” That doesn’t sit well with athletes and coaches.

“Of course knowing the standard is nice so that you don’t end up finding out after the fact you were a few seconds off of a particular standard and you have a target to go off of for training,” Korir responds.

“That being said, I think most athletes are always trying to better their own personal times and, sometimes, chasing a particular standard can force people to run at a particular pace that may be too fast. (They do it) just to try to make the standard and then blow up in the second half of the race. But that is part of what happens with racing.”

Korir says she enjoys every opportunity to come back to Canada. Besides being the official Canadian Championship, Toronto represents a chance to further the objectives of the charitable organization she and husband Wesley set up a few years ago called the Kenyan Kids Foundation.

The foundation is one of 185 official charities that are part future-STWMrunnerof the Scotiabank Charity Challenge at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and is operated by Tarah’s father Blair McKay. Among the initiatives they have undertaken are improvement in dairy farming techniques, clean water and health education as well as general education from pre-school age children and up.

Their fundraising target at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is $15,000. This money will provide scholarships to twenty impoverished high school students as well as fund a pre-school program in Cherangany. Korir is encouraging runners to sign up to run Toronto Waterfront with her and raise money for the team or to make a one-time charitable donation.

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For more information and to join Tarah’s team:

http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/en/charity/kkfc.htm

Photo Credits:
1. Header Image: PHOTO RUN

Jun 28 2016
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Scotiabank Charity Challenge raises over $50 million for local Canadian communities

By | Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal et 5k, Scotiabank Charity Challenge, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments

Runners at 6 marathons across the country set the pace for giving back to the community

TORONTO, ON – (Marketwired – June 24, 2016)

Since 2003, participants at six Scotiabank-sponsored road races from coast to coast have made every step of their run count, raising more than $50 million for local charities through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. This turnkey fundraising program surpassed the $50 million mark thanks to continued efforts from races in Montreal, Halifax, Ottawa and Calgary so far this year, and in the lead-up to the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon and 5k this weekend.

06-28-16-charitychallenge1200x900The Scotiabank Charity Challenge launched in 2003 at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon as a way for runners to fundraise to support local charities. Every dollar raised goes directly to the charities. Scotiabank pays for all transaction fees, credit card fees and the cost of the fundraising platform.

Scotiabank proudly hosts a Scotiabank Charity Challenge at each of six sponsored race events across Canada each year including:

For links to Scotiabank’s races and the charities supported by runners at each one, please visit the Scotiabank Marathons’ page.

“On behalf of all of my colleagues at Scotiabank, I want to congratulate all participants who have run in the Scotiabank road races since 2003 and made every step count by signing up for the Scotiabank Charity Challenge,” said Kyle McNamara, Executive Vice President and Co-Head Information Technology, Business Systems, and Executive Champion for Marathons at Scotiabank. “We encourage everyone to keep the fundraising going, and to work together to support local charities that have a significant impact on Canadian communities.”

“We launched the Scotiabank Charity Challenge in response to runners who told us that they wanted to make their race more meaningful,” said Jacquie Ryan, Vice President, Sponsorships at Scotiabank. “It has been an honour to witness the commitment and dedication of all participants – both on the course and off – as we have grown this fundraising program together.”

About Scotiabank
Through our global community investment strategy, Scotiabank and its employees support causes at a grassroots level. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2015, Scotiabank contributed $67 million to help our communities around the world.

Scotiabank is Canada’s international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. We are dedicated to helping our 23 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 89,000 employees and assets of $895 billion (as at April 30, 2016), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). Scotiabank distributes the Bank’s media releases using Marketwired. For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.