This Sunday is Mother’s Day. This Sunday is also the Sporting Life 10k presented by ASICS and in support of Campfire Circle. The Sporting Life 10k takes you through the heart of Toronto, starting on Yonge Street just north of Davisville Avenue, heads west across Lakeshore Boulevard and finishes at Exhibition Place. The party gets started in Bandshell park just after you finish.
For those of you not from Toronto, there is a reason they call it Canada’s fastest 10k event—you drop about 80m over the first 6k (and if you’ve never done a downhill race before get ready for some sore quads on Monday). The #SL10k is a unique event. It’s competitive, but it’s about community.
Toronto is home to many elite and sub-elite runners. On any given Run-Day you’ll see Brittany Moran, Laura Desjardin, Gillian McCabe and many others out pounding the pavement. It also attracts other top level runners in Ontario; a little birdie told me Emily Setlack might be on the start line Sunday. If you ask any of these women why they’re running, while there might be something in there about being fast or competitive, more than that you’ll hear them talk about: community.
It’s a unique feeling to stand on the start line. You can feel the energy of the thousands upon thousands of people who stand behind you. You can feel their excitement. You can feel a bit of their nerves too. More than that you can feel their love and support for this important event that supports an incredible organization. That organization is Campfire Circle.
The team at Campfire Circle is a “community of vibrant and committed professionals whose goal is to enrich the lives of kids and families affected by serious illness.” From Camp Ooch to Camp Trillium and all the incredible programs in between, children affected by serious illness get to experience the joy and laughter of going to camp.
I was fortunate to attend overnight summer camp as a child and I still have fairytale dreams where I wake up on the lake, go for a water ski, and then head out on a sailboat. I can hear and feel the water falling off my paddle as I dip it into the lake and head out to Camp Walden’s Crash site. We can all appreciate the healing powers that being outside of the city and nature provides.
On Sunday, I’m lacing up for that child to get to experience summer camp. I’m lacing up to feel your energy. I’m lacing up to be a part of the community. I’m lacing up for all the moms, especially the ones that face the hardships of a child with a serious illness.
#WeRunForCampfireCircle
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