Day 12: Back on the Road!
54 km today; 496.9 km total
Day 12: June 5th, 2026
Distance: 54 km
Total Distance: 496 km
Route: La Ronge Co-op to McKay Lake Recreation Site
Weather: Sunny, 17–21°C, with a welcome cool breeze
Road Conditions: Mostly pavement, with a few side roads mixed in when possible
Wildlife: Mama bear with two cubs, an owl, and a caddisfly discovered at camp
People Encountered: Wes Bear, plus an incredible crew of friends who joined for the day
After three unexpected days away from running, this morning felt a little bit like Day 1 all over again.
I woke up at Nut Point Campground, packed up camp with the crew, and headed into La Ronge. Standing outside the Co-op, I was excited, nervous, and almost ready to start moving again.
Brand new shoes, brand new sunglasses (from my friends, Mandy and Jeff Currie - thank you!) and a brand new gnome trail marker (thanks to Theresa)...just until we get back to froggie.
After a quick jog, my brand new shoes don’t look brand new anymore!
The first few kilometres felt surprisingly not bad
Not amazing. Not terrible. Just not bad.
After spending several days wondering when I'd be able to run again, not bad felt pretty great.
One of the best parts of the day was getting to share it with friends.
Svieda, Theresa, Jen, and Haley ran with me throughout the day, and suddenly the road felt much less lonely. After a few days of uncertainty, being surrounded by good people was exactly what I needed.
We took as many side roads as we could to break up the 34 kilometres of pavement (much less fun to run on than gravel) plus, we got to run on some cool little trails closer to the trees.
Sometimes the scenic route wins.
By lunch, we had a special visitor.
My dad, Brad's friend, Wes Bear, had been following the journey online and stopped by to meet us. Wes shared stories, encouragement, and generously donated to the fundraiser before sending us back down the road.
Thank you, Wes!
Great conversation, lots of encouragement, and a generous donation from Wes Bear.
The afternoon delivered one of the most memorable wildlife encounters of the trip so far.
While Theresa, Jen, and I were running together, a mama bear and her two cubs crossed the road directly in front of us.
Thankfully everyone kept moving in the same direction, and after a brief moment of excitement, the bears disappeared back into the forest.
We didn’t catch more than a blurry photo of the bears. Darryn took this photo of us looking back from his pilot vehicle
The scenery continued to remind us why this part of Saskatchewan is so special.
Between the lakes, exposed rock, winding rivers, and endless forest, it felt like every bend in the road offered another postcard view.
Somewhere between Wadin Bay and Little Deer Lake
The kilometres added up steadily throughout the afternoon.
There were plenty of laughs, plenty of conversations, and lots of moments where I simply felt grateful to be moving again.
It was a nice sunny afternoon! During my mid-afternoon break, it was so nice to catch some shade in ‘mermaid pose’ under an umbrella.
After 54 km, we placed the gnome and made our way to our home for the night, McKay Lake!
It felt so good dipping my feet and legs in McKay Lake at the end of this running day!
I felt like I had an army of pacers - this is where they set up for the night!
After Theresa, Barb, and Cam made me a delicious supper, I had my go-to recovery drink. The recipe was cooked up by my good friend and dietician, Theo Phillips!
I felt encouraged, cared about, and inspired reading notes from the staff and students from St. Michael School in Saskatoon. My friend, Theresa coordinated with principal, Steve, to deliver the messages to my tent
For a second, we thought about not putting the fly on the tent tonight. I’m glad we did because it ended up pouring rain. There was also thunder and lightning.
That wasn’t the only thing - some people pulled in around 3:30 am and made some of us want to go dancing, swimming, and partying with them. They sounded like they were having a grand ol’ time blasting the music and jumping off the dock into the lake.
So many notes from so many good people! Thank you again to the amazing people at St. Michael Community School. I’m carrying these uplifting words of encouragement with me for this adventure!
On June 12, I'll turn 38 years old. I'm running across Saskatchewan from north to south - more than 1,500 kilometres - to honour my mom, who passed away from leukemia when she was 38 years old.
I am also doing this to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada.
Every day on this journey reminds me how many families have faced cancer and how many are still facing it today. The kilometres are challenging, but they are small compared to what patients and their loved ones endure.
If you've been following along, sharing these posts, sending messages, or making a donation, thank you!
Every step forward is dedicated to the people we love, the people we've lost, and the hope that better treatments and outcomes continue to become possible for families facing blood cancers and other types of cancer.
If you'd like to support the fundraiser, you can learn more and donate by clicking the ‘donate’ button at the top of this page.
The money goes directly to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada.
