Susan Penstone writes...
From Wabamun, Alberta
'Burning Boots' for the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
Each year the Tahsis Lions Club hosts the Great Walk, a grueling 63 km trek through two Vancouver Island mountain passes along a dusty forestry road between the towns of Tahsis and Gold River. This ultramarathon is affectionately called the 'Burning Boots' walk.
My sister and I had long been planning a vacation trip to Vancouver -- just quality time for the two of us -- when a nursing buddy of hers suggested that we should take up the challenge and walk the Great Walk. My sister is always up for a physical challenge, and I reluctantly agreed.
For all of our training I admit we weren’t fully prepared for the mental stamina required to walk through two mountain passes in +30 degree Celsius temperatures. Up at midnight to catch a bus for a 4am start time, the last 19 km were the toughest. We dug deep within ourselves, and with feet a burnin', we completed our 63km trek in high spirits, singing tunes from every childhood campfire song we could remember 13 hours later.
One of the great benefits of the 'Burning Boots Ultramarathon', besides getting in shape, is that participants can raise funds for their favorite charities. Prior to our decision to do the walk, I heard Stephen Lewis passionately talk about his work and his foundation. I was brought to tears and vowed if there was a way I could help, I would. The marathon provided a perfect opportunity.
Stephen spoke of the women who heroically care for the sick and for each other. It was these women that provided the inspiration for the last 19km of my great walk, knowing that my pain and discomfort was nothing compared to the 'great walk' these women and their families undertake each day.
For more information about the Great Walk go to www.greatwalk.com.
Susan Penstone
Wabamun, AB